Coach Patrick Mouratoglou says Naomi Osaka's mental health issues are a thing of the past but also adds he has made a great effort to get to know the Japanese just so he knows how to react if something happens.
Exactly four years ago, the four-time Grand Slam champion publicly revealed her battle with depression and anxiety. After the 2021 French Open, the Japanese took a short break from tennis and she also didn't play any tournaments after that year's US Open.
Since then, Osaka has been pretty open about her mental state – and while it has improved – the 27-year-old herself admitted that she is not fine all the time.
For the past seven months, the former world No. 1 has been working with Mouratoglou.
In an interview with France24, the French coach noted that there was "a lot of work" to do on the physical side after Osaka's post-pregnancy return. Also, he noted that the multiple Slam champion didn't come back just for the sake of returning, but she wants to achieve some big things.
Mouratoglou asked if Osaka's mental health was a problem or a thing of the past
When addressing Osaka's mental health, the French coach confirmed the Japanese is fine in that regard. But even if something negative were to happen, he would know what to do.
“It’s in the past, but it could come back. What’s important is that I understand her perfectly, because I am going to sense the dangers and I am going to be able to help her. That’s always my first step, to know exactly who I am dealing with and to know the player inside out. For that, it’s a lot of time and seeing them in different situations, understanding where they come from, what their history is, what their family history is. Once I have all the elements, I can understand them and how they feel in different situations. And that’s where I can really help them," Mouratoglou explained.
Mouratoglou opens up on coaching Osaka and his unique approach
Naomi is now in a good place mentally and is more hungry than ever:
"If she came back to tennis after having a child, it's not to play third fiddle" pic.twitter.com/svFS4e7Cnt
— Dan Gernez (@GernezDan) May 20, 2025
Recently, Osaka won her first title in four years after lifting the trophy at the WTA 125 tournament in Saint-Malo.
