First photos of Naomi Osaka practicing with Patrick Mouratoglou in Beijing

The buzz around Naomi Osaka‘s new coaching partnership with Patrick Mouratoglou has played a central role in the China Open 2024with fans and media eager to witness the four-time Grand Slam champion as she embarks on a new chapter in her career. Jimmie48 captured photos of Osaka practicing with Mouratoglou ahead of her first-round match in Beijing, sparking widespread excitement over the potential of the partnership.

For Osaka, the partnership is both exciting and intimidating. Despite her longstanding admiration for Serena Williams, Osaka admitted she was initially hesitant to work with Mouratoglou, who played a key role in coaching Williams to 10 major titles between 2012 and 2022. “I think the fact that he was Serena’s coach made me want to avoid him, just because his personality is so big,” Osaka announced this during a press conference at the China Open. “This is not rude, because I found out that it is not true, but I didn’t know if he was a good coach and if he was coaching Serena.”

The chance to work with Mouratoglou came after Osaka split with her previous coach, Wim Fissette, following the US Open. Osaka has since expressed optimism about her future with Mouratoglou, calling it a potential long-term partnership. “I think I’m at a stage in my life where I don’t want to have any regrets,” she said. “I’d rather pull the trigger and — I don’t want to say ‘fail’ — but I feel like I really need to learn as much as I can at this stage of my career.”

For Osaka, who enters the China Open ranked No. 73, Mouratoglou represents a chance to refine her game and return to the top of the sport. After spending time with the famed coach on the practice courts in the run-up to the Asian Swing, Osaka expressed relief at discovering Mouratoglou’s expertise first-hand. “Then I met him, talked to him, worked with him on court. He is definitely a very good coach. I am very happy that he is taking on this project as well.” she said, noting that she wanted to learn as much as possible from his vast knowledge and experience.

The first signs of success were clearly visible in Osaka’s first match since New York. She took to the court with renewed focus and determination, to secure a solid 6-3 6-2 victory over Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti in the first round of the China Openwhere she came back from a break down in the first set to dominate the rest of the match. This victory marked her return to the tournament for the first time since winning the title in 2019.

Osaka made her return to the WTA Tour at the start of the season after giving birth to daughter Shai last year. However, she has expressed frustration with her progress since her comeback. As the 26-year-old continues her campaign in Beijing, all eyes will be on her to see if this dynamic partnership can propel her to new heights.