‘Wildcard’ Naomi Osaka backed for 2026 rankings breakthrough by Serena Williams’ ex-coach
Acclaimed tennis coach Rick Macci has backed Naomi Osaka to climb back inside the top 10 of the WTA Rankings in 2026, with the star looking to build on a resurgent 2025.
Osaka finishes 2025 ranked 16th in the WTA Rankings after a strong second half to the year, which saw the Japanese return to the top 20 for the first time since 2022.
After returning to the sport post-maternity leave at the start of 2024, the four-time Grand Slam champion was ranked 59th by the end of that season.
However, Osaka struggled with her fitness and her consistency towards the end of 2024 and the start of 2025, and ultimately split with coach Patrick Mouratoglou following a second-round exit at the Washington Open in July.
The former world No 1 hired Tomasz Wiktorowski in the aftermath of her split with Mouratoglou, and proceeded to produce by far and away her best tennis since her comeback.
Osaka stormed to the final of the WTA 1000 Canadian Open in Montreal and then reached her first Grand Slam semi-final in over four years at the US Open, pushing Amanda Anisimova all the way in a three-set thriller.
Having been ranked just inside the top 50 prior to action in Montreal, her two strong runs propelled her back inside the top 20 of the WTA Rankings.
Now, legendary coach Macci — who worked with the Williams sisters and Maria Sharapova, among others — has backed Osaka for another big breakthrough in 2026.
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Posting on Twitter/X, Macci predicted that Osaka would “pull many upsets” across the season, and ultimately finish the year inside the top 10.
He wrote: “Osaka to be the wildcard and pull many upsets this year. Top ten will be her best friend and [she will] be right there in the end. She was a different player last year with the coaching change and had clarity motivation and a better understanding of the geometry of the court.”
Osaka will start her season at the United Cup in Perth, representing Japan in the mixed team competition.
As it stands, the 28-year-old is set to face Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu and Greece’s Maria Sakarri in the round-robin stage, with further matches to contest should Japan progress to the quarter-final.
Ranking points are on offer at the United Cup, though they vary per the ranking of any player’s opponent.
Osaka will drop points from her run to the Auckland Open final last year, though she has just third round points to defend at the Australian Open — the opening Grand Slam event of 2026.
Action in Melbourne begins on January 18, with Osaka having previously lifted the Australian Open title in 2019 and 2021.
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