A successful trial: Naomi Osaka extends partnership with new coach Wiktorowski after Canadian Open final

Osaka's new coaching relationship pays off

On the day of her debut against local player Ariana Arseneault, it was announced that Wiktorowski —former coach of Agnieszka Radwańska and Iga Świątek— would be on a trial basis during Osaka's time at the tournament. He traveled immediately to watch her debut and begin their time working together.

The partnership lasted longer than expected, as Osaka managed to secure six consecutive victories in Montreal. She saved a couple of match points against Liudmila Samsonova in the second round and was then dominant against Jelena Ostapenko (6-2, 6-4), Anastasija Sevastova (6-1, 6-0), Elina Svitolina (6-2, 6-2), and Clara Tauson (6-2, 7-6), reaching a WTA 1000 final for the first time since the 2022 Miami Open, where she lost to Iga Swiatek with Wiktorowski on her side.

The Japanese player was a slight favorite against the final's debutant, 18-year-old Victoria Mboko, but the Canadian delivered a historic performance and staged a comeback to defeat her childhood idol. Mboko won the title 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, a moment that will be unforgettable in her career.

A Winning combination: Osaka and coach Wiktorowski officially team up

The arrival of Swiatek’s former coach to Osaka's team began to yield results quickly, starting as just a few days of a trial.

"Honestly, I think for me, what’s working well is I am very confident in my fitness. I’m really comfortable just getting balls back now, and I really enjoy Tomasz," she said in a press conference during the tournament. "But I enjoy his coaching style. He’s very direct and to the point. For someone like me, whose thoughts scatter around often, it’s very helpful."

According to Polish tennis journalist Dominik Senkowski, Osaka has decided to extend her partnership with Wiktorowski, as confirmed by her agent, Stuart Duguid. The former world No. 1 will have the Polish coach in her corner for her next tournament: none other than the US Open.

Osaka's expectations for Flushing Meadows will surely be high after her best week in several years. She had a one-set advantage in the final, but pressure seemed to affect her, and her performance dropped in the second half of the match, especially with her serve, where she was broken eight times between the second and third sets.

Nonetheless, the Japanese star guaranteed a rise in the rankings to world No. 25, which allows her to enter the US Open as a seeded player—a tournament she has already won in 2018 and 2020. Osaka decided to skip the Cincinnati Open this week to take physical precautions after playing seven matches in just 10 days.