Serena Williams’ ex-coach sends strongly-worded message to Naomi Osaka to encourage her after Canadian Open heartbreak

August 8, 2025

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Despite losing the finals at the Canadian Open, Naomi Osaka received sweet words of appreciation from Serena Williams’ ex-coach, Rick Macci. The player will now gear up for the upcoming hard-court swing.

Osaka was last seen in action at the Canadian Open, where she delivered some impressive performances against top-notch players and reached the finals. In the last round, she locked horns with Victoria Mboko, who dashed the hopes of the Japanese player to lift the trophy by claiming an impressive 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 win.

Following this heartbreak, Osaka received a strongly worded message from Williams’ former coach, Macci, praising her for her performance in the tournament. Encouraging her after the upset, he penned a note on X that read:

"What Osaka did in Canada was one of biggest night and day mental efforts we have seen in a long time. By having a coaching flip mentally there was no more dip. The negativity blast from the past did not last and now with a smile she went the extra mile @naomiosaka," wrote Macci.

In the post-match press conference, Osaka opened up about her thoughts on associating with Iga Swiatek's ex-coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, at the 2025 Canadian Open. She said that under his tutelage, it was a great first tournament; however, it is yet to be confirmed whether he will be her new full-time coach.

Naomi Osaka reveals the real reason behind not congratulating Victoria Mboko after her Canadian Open win.

After facing a loss against Victoria Mboko at the Canadian Open finals, Naomi Osaka did not congratulate her opponent for the win in the press conference. This snub quickly stirred controversy online, and fans expressed their dismay, calling it unsportsmanlike. During the post-match interview, she said:

"I don’t really want to take up too much time. I’ll just say thank you to everyone. Thank you to my team, the ball kids, organizers, & volunteers. I hope you guys had a good night," said Naomi Osaka.

Shortly after this speech and the controversy, the Japanese clarified the situation, stating that she forgot to praise Mboko.

"I think it's kind of funny. This morning I was very grateful. I don't know why my emotions flipped so quickly, but I'm really happy to have played the final. I think Victoria played really well. I completely forgot to congratulate her on the court. Yeah, I mean, she did really amazing," Osaka said.

Naomi Osaka has only won one title in the 2025 season so far, at the WTA 125k Saint-Malo, where she defeated Kaja Juvan to claim the trophy. Along with the National Bank Open, she also reached the finals of the ASB Classic this season.

About the author

An English Honors graduate, Nancy is a journalist at Sportskeeda covering US Olympic sports. She has a total experience of 4 years, having previously worked as a Marketing Executive for BYJU’S before finding her footing at SK.

To deliver the best content, Nancy keeps herself updated by reading as much as possible about the athletes and the sport, and believes that researching and trusting credible sources is the key to reporting ethical and accurate information.

Track and Field events particularly interest Nancy, and she is a fan of Allyson Felix. While she cherished each of her victories, her favorite Olympic moment happens to be the retired athlete’s 10th medal at the Games.

Nancy believes that covering the personal lives and training sessions of the Olympic athletes, and showcasing old podcasts or interviews would help bridge the coverage gap of the sport in its off season.

When away from her keyboard, Nancy spends most of her free time reading books. She also writes poems and plans on publishing a book.

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