After a challenging return to top-tier tennis last September, Naomi Osaka made a bold move by bringing on elite coach Patrick Mouratoglou, known for sculpting champions. Her evolution, both mentally and technically, was evident this year following that move. Ahead of the Auckland International, she said, “You might be able to see it in my play style now from China, I guess when I play my match here this week, definitely a lot more aggressive and he makes me feel very confident in myself.” Now back to the Italian Open, Osaka is blazing through the clay, as Mouratoglou now unveils a secret weapon: a grounding technique rooted purely in mastering her technique.
Osaka, a four-time GS champion, is making her sixth appearance at the WTA 1000 event in Rome and is starting to look more and more like her dominant old self. After comfortably dispatching Italy’s Sara Errani in the opening round, she followed it up with a gritty come-from-behind win over Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1.
The Japanese star is now set to face Marie Bouzkova in a third-round clash on May 10. Her performance on the Italian clay has shown significant improvement, much of which can be credited to her legendary coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, who recently shared a behind-the-scenes glimpse into Osaka’s training methods.
In a recent IG post, captioned, “Being grounded on the court allows power and precision. And @naomiosaka knows how to be powerful and precise, to say the least,” Mouratoglou was seen fine-tuning the Japanese’s forehand mechanics. The 54-year-old further explained, “Imagine there is a nail here, and during the hit, it doesn’t move. It’s easy to be accurate when nothing moves. Stay here [low], let the hand do the job. If the leg, the shoulder, everything is moving, it’s very difficult.”
Osaka quickly grasped the concept, impressing her coach. “Look at the sound, even the sound of the ball. I think no more explanation [is needed], because you got it,” he said. “The quality of the ball is day and night.”
That refinement was tested early in her second-round match against Golubic, where Osaka initially struggled! Osaka sprayed unforced errors and had trouble adjusting to Golubic’s persistent slice. But showcasing her trademark resilience, the Japanese fought her way back into the contest and turned the match around in impressive fashion.
The coach later praised her determination, sharing his pride on IG Stories. “I am very proud of @naomiosaka for her fighting spirit today and since the last 7 matches,” Mouratoglou wrote.
Osaka’s victory marked her 7th consecutive win on the WTA Tour, signaling a potential comeback arc reminiscent of her past glory. Her longest winning streak to date came way back at the end of the 2020 season into early 2021, where she strung together 23 straight wins and captured the US Open and AO titles. That run eventually ended at the 2021 Miami Open, where she was defeated by Maria Sakkari in the QF.
While matching that 23-match winning streak seems like a tall order in 2025, Osaka is certainly building momentum on the clay. As she heads into her R32 match in Rome, she’ll be aiming to notch an 8th straight win.
Reflecting on her journey, Osaka recently also opened up about her early exit at the Madrid Open. She drew motivation from it, which fueled her title run at Saint-Malo.
Naomi Osaka reveals motivation behind her first trophy win in 4 years
Naomi Osaka’s 2025 season has been a story of rebuilding and resilience, marked by moments of frustration and flashes of brilliance at the court. After taking some time away from the tour earlier this year, she returned to action in Miami, where she strung together 3 impressive wins that hinted at a return to top form. However, her momentum was disrupted in the Spanish capital, where she suffered a disappointing early exit in the opening round.
The result was tough to digest, especially considering the intense preparation she had undergone at Mouratoglou’s academy in the south of France. Speaking to Tennis Channel ahead of the Italian Open, she candidly expressed her frustration: “Obviously I lost in the first round in Madrid, which really sucks because I trained so hard for three weeks at Patrick’s academy, so I really wanted to do well.”
Looking to recalibrate, the Japanese opted to enter the WTA 125-level event in Saint-Malo. The decision proved fruitful as she secured 5 victories en route to lifting the trophy, culminating in a confident win over Kaja Juvan in the final. Reflecting on her approach, Naomi said, “I put too much pressure on myself, so just going to St Malo I dunno, I just wanted to bring it back to basics, I wanted to practice and I guess play a lot of matches, and I was glad that I was able to do that.”
Now focused on the Italian Open, the 27-year-old is set to face Marie Bouzková in the third round. The Japanese star leads their H2H 2-0 and will look to maintain that dominance.
With a new forehand technique and regained confidence, can Osaka break into the Rome R16? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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