Naomi Osaka’s opening-round victory at the 2025 Bad Homburg Open caught the attention of fans, who saw two familiar faces who were once a part of Osaka’s team, Sascha Bajin and Wim Fissette, watching her on from the stands. Their presence during Osaka’s narrow straight-sets win over Olga Danilović sparked curiosity among fans, who quickly took to social media to express their thoughts.
Naomi Osaka Grinds Out Win as Familiar Faces Watch from the Sidelines
Osaka, playing as a wildcard at the German grass-court tournament, posted a hard-fought 7-6(6), 7-6(4) victory against the Serbian qualifier in two hours and five minutes. After disappointing first-round losses at Roland Garros and the German Open in Berlin, the victory was a significant rebound for the Japanese star.
The contest itself left little margin for error, with Osaka and Danilović both serving through and fighting out nail-biting tiebreaks. Osaka saved all four break points faced by her, and Danilović saved six of her own.
A crucial challenge by Osaka in the second-set tiebreak reversed what appeared to be a Danilović ace, just millimeters short, and turned the match firmly in the Japanese star’s direction. Later, Osaka finished off the victory with a forehand winner.
“It’s my first grass-court win of the year, so I’m really excited about that,” Osaka said in a post-match on-court interview. “I think I have potential [on grass], but everyone else is also really good. I can never take it for granted, the wins. Just super excited that I won today.”
The presence of Osaka’s former coaches, Fissette and Bajin, in the stands during the game gained the attention of tennis enthusiasts. Pictures of the two observers looking on at their former player soon surfaced on X.
I spy with my little eye..😁 pic.twitter.com/go9BAx6iav
— Gosia (@Gosia_CzBradf) June 23, 2025
Lol Fissette and Bajin watching Naochi! They miss coaching her 😭🤣
— Osaka my N1 forever 😍 (@JeronimoPi15122) June 23, 2025
Bajin and Fissette were key architects of the Japanese star’s greatest successes. Bajin began working with Osaka after the 2017 season, taking her to her breakthrough Grand Slam titles at the 2018 US Open and 2019 Australian Open. Osaka reached World No. 1 during his time, and Bajin received the inaugural WTA Coach of the Year award in 2018. Their professional split came shortly after the 2019 Australian Open.
Meanwhile, Fissette joined the Japanese star in 2020, taking Osaka to two more Majors, the 2020 US Open and the 2021 Australian Open, before their split in September 2024. The same month, Osaka hired Patrick Mouratoglou as her new coach.
Both of Osaka’s former coaches remain active on tour: Bajin is currently working with Croatia’s Donna Vekić, while Fissette is coaching five-time Major winner Iga Świątek, both of whom are also playing at Bad Homburg.
What’s Next for Naomi Osaka at the Bad Homburg Open?
With the victory, Osaka advanced to the second round, where she’s scheduled to play fifth seed Emma Navarro on Tuesday. This will be their second meeting on the WTA Tour. Their first meeting was in the second round of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, where Navarro won 6-4, 6-1.
The victor in this encounter will face either top seed Jessica Pegula or Kateřina Siniaková in the quarterfinals.
