Naomi Osaka has split from coach Sascha Bajin, a little more than two weeks after she won the Australian Open to secure a second consecutive grand slam title and moved to No 1 in the WTA rankings.
“Hey everyone, I will no longer be working together with Sascha,” Osaka posted on Twitter. “I thank him for his work and wish him all the best in the future.”
Bajin, the WTA’s coach of the year in 2018, responded to thank the Japanese player. “I wish you nothing but the best as well,” he wrote. “What a ride that was. Thank you for letting me be part of this.”
Osaka hired Bajin before the 2018 season after he had previously worked with Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki.
Osaka withdrew from this week’s Qatar Open, citing a back injury.
The 21-year-old beat Petra Kvitova in three sets in the Australian Open final on 26 January to add to her championship at the US Open last September, when she defeated Serena Williams in straight sets.
Those back-to-back victories made Osaka the first woman to win two major championships in a row since Williams picked up four straight in 2014-15.
Osaka became the youngest woman to make her debut at No 1 since Wozniacki at 20 in 2010 and the first tennis player from Asia to reach the top of the women’s or men’s tennis rankings.