How a ‘Teddy Bear’ Coach is Helping Naomi Osaka Find Her Mojo Again

Naomi Osaka has never been one to hide her feelings. When she walked off the lawns of Wimbledon this summer after a disappointing third-round exit, she was blunt with the press: she had “nothing positive to say.” Her words carried the weight of frustration, even resignation, from a player once accustomed to ruling the sport.

Fast forward less than two months, and the picture could not be more different. The smile that seemed absent in London is back, the ball-striking is cleaner, and Osaka is once again playing the kind of fearless, flowing tennis that twice brought her the US Open trophy. Now, with a place in the quarter-finals secured and a showdown against Czech star Karolina Muchova ahead, Osaka is daring to believe that she can rise to the very top again.

So what changed? A new coach, a fresh perspective, and perhaps most importantly, the rediscovery of joy in her tennis.

Naomi Osaka and the ‘Teddy Bear’ Coach Behind Her Mojo

The turning point in Osaka’s revival came shortly after her disappointing summer. She made the bold call to part ways with Patrick Mouratoglou, the renowned French coach who famously guided Serena Williams. In his place came Tomasz Wiktorowski, the Polish strategist best known for his work with Iga Swiatek, whom he helped to four Grand Slam titles.

At first, Osaka admits, she wasn’t sure what to make of him.

“He seemed like such a tough guy to me,” she said, “but actually, when he smiles, he really is like a teddy bear. After matches, he’s never harsh. He’s always proud and encouraging. It creates a safe space for me to express myself and my tennis.”

That environment has proved invaluable. The Naomi Osaka we’re seeing now looks far more relaxed, less burdened by expectation, and more willing to embrace the process of building her game point by point.

Rediscovering Her Weapons and Confidence

The results came quickly. In her very first event under Wiktorowski, Osaka surged to the final in Montreal, rediscovering the clean ball-striking and fearless baseline dominance that once made her almost untouchable on hard courts.

She notched gritty wins against Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova—refusing to give up until the final ball—and dispatched Elina Svitolina with authority, showing that her rallying ability could still stand up to the best in the world.

“Against Samsonova, I didn’t give up until the very last point,” Osaka explained. “From that moment on, I tried to be the biggest fighter I can be. And playing Svitolina gave me confidence that I can rally with anyone.”

Although she eventually lost in the final to teenage sensation Victoria Mboko—and attracted criticism for her reaction in defeat—the bigger story was her resurgence. She had belief again. And belief is everything in Osaka’s game.

Osaka’s Mojo Returns at the US Open

Naomi Osaka shows one of her Labubu dolls

The US Open has always been Osaka’s happy hunting ground, and this year the energy around her feels different. She has looked more composed, more restrained, and more strategic in her shot selection. No longer trying to overpower every opponent on every point, she’s been picking her moments wisely, using her booming serve to open the court and her groundstrokes to draw errors as much as to finish rallies outright.

The numbers back it up. Osaka has won 79% of her service games, claimed 56% of her return games, and struck winners on nearly one in every five shots she’s played. Those stats put her among the leaders in the tournament and, crucially, make her look like a genuine contender again.

Annabel Croft, the former British No.1 turned broadcaster, summed it up well after watching Osaka’s impressive dismantling of Coco Gauff in the fourth round.

“Her game is all about amazingly clean ball-striking, taking control of the baseline, opening up the court, building up the point, and hitting a winner,” Croft said. “When she is confident, she makes the game look so easy and effortless. So far, she has looked dangerous for anyone to take on.”

A Different Perspective: Joy Over Pressure

Naomi Osaka listens to advice from Tomasz Wiktorowski

Perhaps the most striking shift in Osaka’s outlook is her attitude. The player who once seemed consumed by pressure now speaks about gratitude, fun, and the importance of smiling through competition.

“What I want to take away from this tournament is just smiling and having fun,” she said. “In my first round, I was too nervous to smile, and in the second round I wasn’t smiling much either. But against Coco [Gauff], I just wanted to be grateful. I have the most fun when I play against the best players.”

It’s a telling admission. The Naomi Osaka who won her first US Open title in 2018 was fearless, unburdened, and able to swing freely on the biggest stages. Recapturing even a piece of that mentality could be the difference between being a dangerous outsider and lifting a fifth Grand Slam trophy.

What Comes Next for Osaka?

Osaka now faces Karolina Muchova, the crafty Czech who thrives on variety and can disrupt even the most rhythmical players. It will be a stern test of whether Osaka’s “new” game—rooted in discipline, patience, and smart shot selection—can hold up against a player who excels at breaking patterns.

Still, what’s clear is that Osaka has already taken a huge step forward. After 14 months away from the game following the birth of her daughter Shai in 2023, and after the doubts that clouded her Wimbledon exit, she has reasserted herself as a force on the sport’s biggest stage.

For now, the goals remain simple: to keep fighting, to keep smiling, and to keep rediscovering the game she once ruled.

As Croft put it, “Osaka is a very rhythmical player—not much creativity, but beautiful timing and effortless power. With her serve and her baseline game, she is looking very dangerous again.”

And with her mojo restored, a “teddy bear” coach by her side, and the roar of New York behind her, Naomi Osaka just might be ready to remind the world why she was once the most feared player on hard courts.