Naomi Osaka is all set to face Poland’s Iga Swiatek in the Italian Open Round of 16 on May 11, 2026 — their first meeting since their 2024 Roland Garros thriller. The battle now features a dramatic show of coaching shakeup that has got the tennis community buzzing even before the duo take to court.
Both Swiatek and Osaka entered the tournament lacking in form, and have done well to reach the fourth round. Osaka beat Russia’s Diana Schnaider in an impressive straight-sets battle, while Swiatek dominated her bout against Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-1, 6-0 in the third round.
The two are now meeting for the first time since a staffing shake-up that has briefly changed the dynamics of the rivalry. While Swiatek has brought in Francisco Roig after parting with Wim Fissette, Naomi Osaka’s former coach, Osaka herself is currently working with Swiatek’s former coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, who remained absent during her matches in Rome.
Osaka has shed light on the reason behind the no-show, stating that Wilktorowski had to depart early for personal reasons that he kept private but did inform Osaka beforehand.
“He has, like, a personal thing that he had to go do, but he told me about it beforehand,” she said.
Osaka also mentioned how she was content with getting reasonable support from the rest of her staff, which includes her hitting partner Matias Zukas, who usually puts on the coaching hat when Wiktorowski isn’t around.
Iga Swiatek Talks About Battling Naomi Osaka Next
Iga Swiatek looked ahead to facing Naomi Osaka again after a long while, and spoke about the upcoming clash in Rome at her press conference.
“Naomi is a great player. We played a lot, and also a really tough match at Roland Garros 2 years ago. I know what she can bring and how well she can play when she feels the ball. So I’ll be ready. I’ll prepare tactically and I’ll be ready,” said Swiatek.
In their previous meeting at the 2024 French Open, the Polish star beat Osaka 7-6 (7-1), 1-6, 7-5 during the second round, and will be hoping to recreate the same magic.
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