Serena Williams’ former coach, Rick Macci, believes Naomi Osaka is on the verge of rediscovering her championship-winning form. The veteran coach, who has guided some of tennis’ biggest names, shared a bold forecast for the Japanese star, saying she will soon be a regular force at the Grand Slams and climb back into the sport’s top tier.
How Does Rick Macci Assess Naomi Osaka’s Return to Form?
Macci, impressed by Osaka’s renewed energy on court, took to X to share his prediction. “Look for Osaka to shoot to another level and be in the mix for every Grand Slam and top 5 by year end 2026,” he wrote.
“She got a new accurate voice on court and on the run made a much better choice. Now she is happy positive and free and we will see the best of the best of the 4 TIME SLAM CHAMPION NAOMI.”
Look for Osaka to shoot to another level and be in the mix for every Grand Slam and top 5 by year end 2026. She got a new accurate voice on court and on the run made a much better choice. Now she is happy positive and free and we will see the best of the best of the 4 TIME SLAM…
— Rick Macci (@RickMacci) September 20, 2025
Osaka’s resurgence has been one of the most talked-about storylines in tennis over the past year. After stepping away from competition in late 2022 and announcing her pregnancy in early 2023, she gave birth to her daughter, Shai, in July of that year.
The four-time Grand Slam champion returned to the WTA Tour in Brisbane at the start of 2024, spending much of the season regaining rhythm and confidence. By 2025, she began looking like her old self again, with strong runs across the calendar that signaled she was edging closer to her peak.
In January, she reached the Auckland Classic final but was forced to retire due to an abdominal issue after winning the first set against Clara Tauson. She bounced back in May to lift her first trophy at the Saint-Malo WTA 125 in nearly four years, defeating Kaja Juvan in straight sets for her first title as a mother.
That momentum continued to the WTA 1000 event in Montreal, where she finished runner-up to rising Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko. The summer culminated with a dramatic run at the US Open, where she fell just short in a three-set semifinal battle against Amanda Anisimova. That performance propelled her to No. 14 in the WTA rankings and again reinforced her status as a contender.
Osaka’s next stop will be the 2025 China Open in Beijing, scheduled from Sept. 24 to Oct. 5. This will be her fifth time in the tournament’s main draw, having captured the title in 2019 and reached the semifinals the year before.
