Two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka has provided a shock health update just days before her Australian Open journey begins. The Japanese star took to her social media handle and wrote, “Almost three weeks since I first fell unwell, and I’m still coughing.. Yay!”
Now, it remains unclear whether her current condition is going to be a spoiler for her journey in the first Major of the year, since she has had this condition for the past three weeks and managed to play at the United Cup as well as train regularly in Melbourne post Japan’s early exit from the tournament.
Osaka has been on a resurgent run since last year, aiming to return to her peak years, when she dominated the WTA circuit and won four Grand Slams in a span of two years. She had announced taking a brief hiatus from the sport for the birth of her child with rapper Cordae, and also tackled some mental health issues.
She rejoined the circuit in 2024, playing at the Brisbane International, but it took her more than a year to regain her rhythm on court, as she surprised the masses by reaching the semifinals at the US Open last year.
Thereby, a good start to the new year with a decent performance at the Australian Open will be key for the Japanese to improve her rankings and confidence on court. Despite the grim health update, Osaka, with the help of her coach Tomasz Wiktorowski, is leaving no stone unturned in preparation for the Grand Slam.
Naomi Osaka Showered Praise on Her Swiatek’s Former Coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski
After parting ways with Patrick Mouratoglou, Osaka saw that Wiktorowski was available in the market after he had mutually parted ways with Iga Swiatek in 2024. Osaka and Wiktorowski quickly worked up a deal, and the results were showcased in their first tournament together as the Japanese reached the Montreal final and subsequently the US Open semifinal in 2025.
[adlsot]
In her pre-tournament press conference, Osaka showered praise on the Polish coach, stating that he helps her make decisions calculatively. “Honestly, with Tomasz, I would say the thing I trained most during this offseason, he’s more like decision-making for me. Like awareness on what’s happening during the point,” said Osaka.
“He’s definitely alerting me to understand that the ball that I hit was good, so go forward type of thing. With him, it’s more like he trusts my shot-making, but it’s the decisions to make in between that time,” she added.
Osaka is scheduled to commence her journey at the Australian Open with a first-round match against Ruzic on Tuesday.
Also read:
Andy Roddick Defends Coco Gauff Over Blown-Up Fan Comment Controversy Before Australian Open Starts
