Naomi Osaka, Patrick Mouratoglou, Serena Williams, and coaching: US Open 2018 and Australian Open 2024

This morning, I watched an Australian Open match between Belinda Bencic and Naomi Osaka. As Osaka began to have a recurrence of an abdominal injury she suffered at her previous tournament, she consulted with her coach Patrick Mouratoglou. As this was the first match I've watched this year, it was also the first time I had seen a player and coach talk during a match, which has only recently begun to be allowed. What made this particularly striking was how it recalled Osaka's first US Open win in 2018, when Serena Williams received a warning from umpire Carlos Ramos for receiving coaching during the match – from the very same Patrick Mouratoglou. (Andrew Shields, #111words, 17 January 2025)