Naomi Osaka has officially closed the loop on one of the most closely watched off-court storylines in tennis, confirming her return to IMG Tennis after stepping away from the agency she once co-founded. The four-time Grand Slam champion announced that she will now be represented by IMG, the tennis arm of WME, marking a notable shift as she prepares for the 2026 season.
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The decision carries added resonance given Osaka’s entrepreneurial turn just a few years ago. In 2022, she made headlines by leaving IMG to launch Evolve, a boutique sports and talent agency created alongside her longtime agent, Stuart Duguid.
The move was widely viewed as a bold attempt to reshape athlete representation, with Osaka positioning Evolve as a platform designed to give elite athletes more control over their brands, business interests, and long-term ventures beyond competition.
That chapter, however, quietly came to a close in Dec. 2025. Tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg reported that Osaka’s management agreement with Evolve was expected to expire by year’s end, with Duguid continuing to run the agency and oversee its remaining roster. Those reports also pointed toward a likely reunion with IMG, a move that has now been made official.
Around the same time, Osaka confirmed she would be parting ways with Evolve, framing the moment not as a rupture but as a natural transition. In a brief Instagram message, she thanked those involved and emphasized her excitement for what lay ahead.
The switch was confirmed publicly on Jan. 8, 2026, through a co-branded Instagram post shared by IMG and Osaka. The announcement features a photo of Osaka, accompanied by a single word in the caption: “BACK.”
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IMG Tennis will oversee Osaka’s representation under the leadership of Max Eisenbud, WME Sports head of client representation and one of the most influential agents in the sport. Eisenbud, a longtime IMG power broker and a 2010 SportsBusiness Journal Forty Under 40 honoree, previously guided Osaka during some of the most successful years of her career before their initial split in 2021.
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Evolve’s legacy remains significant despite Osaka’s departure. Since launching in May 2022, the agency has assembled a high-profile and diverse client list that reflects its ambitions. Australian star Nick Kyrgios became its first marquee signing, followed by Tunisian star Ons Jabeur.
More recently, the roster expanded to include WTA world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, along with Anna Kalinskaya, Eva Lys, Iva Jović, and Terence Atmane. Osaka’s exit does not diminish that footprint, but it does underscore how personally central she was to the agency’s identity.
