"Taylor Swift song 'If I was a man' is just hitting me" - Serena Williams' ex-coach cryptically reacts to Naomi Osaka’s split with coach Wim Fissette
Serena Williams' former coach has registered a cryptic reaction to Naomi Osaka's latest split with her coach Wim Fissette. Osaka and Fissette first paired up late in 2019 and remained together till July 2022.
The Belgian coach guided Osaka to two Grand Slam titles, namely the 2020 US Open and 2021 Australian Open. She defeated Belarusian Victoria Azarenka in the New York final and American Jennifer Brady in Melbourne.
Osaka suffered a slump in her form after parting ways with Fissette in 2022 and announced pregnancy at the start of the 2023 season. The coach, on the other hand, joined China's Zheng Qinwen's team in the meantime.
But Fissette made a controversial return to Osaka's squad when the Japanese began her comeback a couple of months after the birth of her daughter Shai in July.
The former World No. 1 resumed competitive tennis in January this year under Fissette's guidance and made decent runs in a couple of tournaments, including the Qatar Open (QF), the Italian Open (R16), and the Libema Open (QF).
However, Naomi Osaka decided to part ways with Fissette after most recently exiting the US Open in the second round.
"4 years, 2 Slams and a whole lot of memories. Thanks Wim for being a great coach and an even greater person, wishing you all the best," she posted in her Instagram stories with her picture with the Belgian.
The four-time Grand Slam champion is rumored to turn to renowned coach Patrick Mouratoglou, who has worked with the likes of Serena Williams and Holger Rune.
Amid the rumors, another former coach of Williams Rennae Stubbs shared a cryptic take on the situation as she took to X (formerly Twitter) and dropped a Taylor Swift reference.
"Taylor Swift song "if i was a man" song is just hitting me today. The tennis coaching world is hilarious," Stubbs wrote.
"It was truly a pleasure" - Wim Fissette after split with Naomi Osaka
Hours after Naomi Osaka announced her dissociation with Wim Fissette, the latter took to Instagram and reflected on their journey.
"I first started coaching Naomi in 2019, and it was truly a pleasure. More so to be part of the comeback journey, seeing her grow as a person, athlete and now mother. A champion in many ways," Fissette wrote.
Wissette wished Naomi Osaka well, writing:
"After the US Open, Naomi decided to move forward with a new path. I accepted it knowing we close this second run with more good memories and gratitude for building her way back. Always wishing the very best for each other and families."
Naomi Osaka notably entered the WTA ranking cycle at the start of 2024 long after finishing the 2022 season as the World No. 42. She sat in the 833rd spot in the first ranking update of the 2024 season in January.
Henceforth, the 26-year-old's graph witnessed a significant rise under Fissette as she now finds herself in the Top 100 and is ranked 75th on the singles circuit. Osaka is next scheduled to compete at the China Open.