Tokyo: Twice Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka has sacked her second coach in seven months, splitting with Jermaine Jenkins in the wake of her disappointing US Open tennis tournament title defence. Jenkins, a long-time hitting partner of Venus Williams, replaced Sascha Bajin in February, weeks after Osaka’s Australian Open triumph.
“I’m super grateful for the time we spent together and the things I learned on and off the court but I feel like now is an appropriate time for change,” 21-year-old Naomi Osaka wrote on Twitter. “Appreciate you, forever warmed by you … Thank you for everything, it was a blast,” the former World No. 1 added.
Top seed at Flushing Meadows, Naomi Osaka struggled with a knee problem before being upset by 13th seed Belinda Bencic in straight sets in the fourth round. It continued a difficult season for the power hitter since her second Grand Slam title at Melbourne Park, with early exits at the French Open and Wimbledon.
The Australian Open win made Naomi Osaka Asia’s first World No.1 and the first player of any nation to claim the first two Grand Slam titles back-to-back since Jennifer Capriati in 2001.
However, the top ranking and the attention that goes with it proved a heavy burden after a tearful first round exit from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in February.
Australian Ashleigh Barty later took the No.1 in the lead-up to Wimbledon where Osaka crashed out of the first round. After the loss Osaka had said that the ‘fun had gone out of her game’.
Ashleigh Barty faltered during the North American hard court season with Osaka reclaiming the top ranking in the build-up to the US Open. Her early exit from New York however, has seen her ranking slide to four behind World No.1 Barty, Karolina Pliskova and Elina Svitolina.
Reuters