By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, December 15, 2019
Naomi Osaka has concluded her coaching search hiring veteran Wim Fissette as her new coach for the 2020 season.
Photo credit: @ChinaOpen
Naomi Osaka has concluded her coaching search hiring a familiar face.
The two-time Grand Slam champion has hired veteran Wim Fissette as her new coach, her management team told Kyodo News.
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Fissette has worked with several elite WTA players, including Kim Clijsters, Victoria Azarenka, Angelique Kerber, Petra Kvitova, Simona Halep and Johanna Konta.
The 39-year-old Fissette is known for his attention to detail, disciplined practices and applying data analytics.
The Belgian is Osaka's third coach in the past year.
The 22-year-old Japanese surprised many by spliting with coach Sascha Bajin after beating Kvitova to capture her second Grand Slam crown at the 2019 Australian Open and making history as the first Asian player to rise to the world No. 1 ranking in singles.
Osaka hired Jermaine Jenkins, a former all-American at Clemson and Venus Williams' former hitting partner, last February, before splitting with him following the US Open in September.
The 2018 US Open champion's father, Leonard Francois, served as her interim coach during the final weeks of the 2019 season.
Osaka, who will tune up for her Australian Open title defense playing the Brisbane International January 6-12th, has set her sights on regaining the top spot.
“I’d love to be No.1 again but I think Ash [Barty] deserves the spot right now,” Osaka told the Daily Telegraph's Matt Logue last week. “She has played an incredible year. She has won Grand Slams and multiple tournaments and the championship throughout the year.
“I know we are going to play more throughout our careers and I hope that is something that people look forward to.”