Naomi Osaka will no longer require the services of tennis coach Wim Fissette, who took to Instagram to make the announcement.
The split was made official on Wednesday, bringing an end to a two-year partnership that had its fair share of ups and downs.
Despite winning two Grand Slam tournaments together, Osaka will not have her longtime coach by her side ahead of her US Open return.
Wim Fissette Announces Split with Naomi Osaka
After two successful years together, Fissette and Osaka have decided to call it quits ahead of her US Open return. Osaka won two grand slam wins at the 2020 US Open and 2021 Australian Open under Fissette’s guidance.
While the reason behind the split has not been revealed, Fissette took to Instagram to share the news and commemorate Osaka.
The 42-year-old Belgian coach wrote:
“It has been a privilege to coach Naomi since 2019 and see her grow into the champion she has become. She has inspired a whole new generation to fall in love with the game and to speak up for what they believe in and it’s been incredible to play a part in that journey.”
Naomi Osaka and Wim Fissette Accomplishments
The coach-player pair have enjoyed a terrific partnership over the past few years.
Osaka and Fissette started working together in 2019. Under Fissette, Osaka won the 2020 US Open and 2021 Australian Open after a two-year Grand Slam drought.
However, Osaka dealt with mental health issues in 2021, forcing her to withdraw from the 2021 French Open and sit out of Wimbledon last year.
A fresh start could be a good move for Osaka, who remains one of the biggest names in the sport.
Currently ranked No. 38 in the WTA rankings, Osaka has yet to announce a new coach.
What’s Next for Wim Fissette?
While there has been no news on Fissette’s next move, he will likely remain in tennis.
The six-time Grand Slam Coach has worked with some of the WTA’s best including, Simona Halep, Victoria Azarenka, Kim Clijesters and Angelique Keber.
Like Osaka, each player he’s worked with has won major titles and spent time at No.1 in the WTA rankings.
Naomi Osaka Returns to US Open Without a Coach
While she will be without her coach, Osaka is in familiar territory. In February 2019, Osaka split with coach Sascha Bajin shortly after winning the Australian Open and 2018 US Open title.
She was briefly coached by Jermain Jenkins and her father Leonard Fancois following her split from Bajin.
As a result, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the four-time Grand Slam winner may make her return without a coach heading into the 2022 US Open at the end of August.
The best tennis betting sites have Naomi Osaka as one of the favorites to win the US Open at +800 odds.
Osaka has been out with an Achilles injury since her Round 1 defeat at the 2022 French Open.
However, she’s expected to return to the tennis court in two weeks at the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose.
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