Patrick Mouratoglou Confesses Inability to Help Naomi Osaka Led to Split

Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, turned to Mouratoglou after struggling to find her rhythm since returning to the tour following pregnancy and childbirth. However, their collaboration ended after an underwhelming clay court swing — a decision Mouratoglou revealed was his own.

Reflecting on the split, Mouratoglou was candid about the reasons:

“So, if I'm honest, and I am always honest, I was not happy with the results, and I take the responsibility fully,” he explained in an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Serve on SI.

“There were good things and not too good things. The good thing is, we did solve a few things,” he continued. “When I started, she was injured all the time.”

“In the first six months, she had three major injuries, which made us lose a lot of time. This has been solved. I don't think she's gonna get injured anytime soon. I think her body's much stronger now, so that's so positive,” said Mouratoglou.

Despite the setbacks, Mouratoglou highlighted progress in Osaka’s physical and technical game. “I think she improved her game a lot, which is also a positive, and in practice, the level she's able to play was really, really high,” he noted.

Still, the French coach admitted the biggest challenge lay in translating that practice level to match situations.

“Now the only thing, which is in a way, the most important thing, is to perform during matches, and in that matter, I'm not happy with the way I could have helped her better. I think I probably missed a few things that could have made her more efficient during the matches,” he admitted.

Ultimately, Mouratoglou decided to step away, believing Osaka needed a fresh approach to unlock her competitive edge again. He emphasized, however, that she is more prepared now to compete at the highest level.

“That’s what I said to her and to her agent when we came to an end: she’s really ready. This needs to be solved, and if it’s solved, because she’s a great competitor, she has to learn to compete well.”

“She has already a huge career with four Grand Slams, being number one.” Osaka has already shown signs of resurgence, reaching the final in Montreal after their split, a result Mouratoglou said made him “really happy.” He remains confident that her strengthened body and improved game will allow her to continue climbing back toward the top.

While their partnership was short-lived, the mutual respect between coach and player was evident — with Mouratoglou leaving the door open for Osaka’s next chapter to be one of renewed success.