Tennis Today: Pundits discuss Naomi Osaka coach split and cannot agree

Michael Graham
March 15, 2019

In Tennis Today, pundits debate the mysterious split between Naomi Osaka and Sascha Bajin, but can only agree on one thing – that it’s a real shame.

What’s on the site
If you’re a Juan Martin del Potro fan, we have something of a good-news-bad-news thing going on for you today.

The bad news is that Delpo has suffered yet more injury heartbreak, and it’s wholly demoralising.

On the plus side, though, he Michael Graham has declared the Argentinian gentle giant to be the most likable player in tennis today, which we know doesn’t offer a tremendous amount of consolation, but it cheered self-confessed Delpo fanboy Michael up, so there is that.

Del Potro is probably on Michael’s own list of ‘what makes tennis great’, but for now we are focusing on the first of our many reasons – tennis mavericks!

Shot-clock, meanwhile, may not feature in many players’ lists of great things about modern tennis, but they’d better get used to it as it appears to be here to stay.

What’s in the news
Jim Courier has defended Naomi Osaka over her unexpected split from coach Sascha Bajin.

Speaking on the Tennis Channel, Courier responded to Chris Evert’s suggestion that money was behind the pair’s split, saying he believed there was something more personal at the heart of it.

“It was strange to read the transcript after the finals when she was asked what did Sascha tell you before the match”, Courier said.

“She said, ‘oh well frankly we have not been saying much, he maybe gave me one thing’.

“There was something going on there, there was a lot of discussion among the pundit class about it, maybe it was a financial issue but she certainly batted that away when she was asked about it in her first tournament back.

“So just seemed like the relationship fractured at some point to when we were at the US Open last year.

“Doing TC live and we had the cameras on and in the US Open warm-up room Sascha was dancing and we had so much fun with it.

“They were having so much fun with it, and it’s just sad that they lost that love and feeling.”

What’s on social media
Gael Monfils took a philosophical, if a little scientifically inaccurate, view of his Indian Wells retirement.

View this post on Instagram

“ Whatever life throws at you,even if it hurts you,just be strong and fight through it. Remember, strong walls shake but never collapse ” 🙅🏾‍♂️

A post shared by Gael Monfils (@iamgaelmonfils) on Mar 14, 2019 at 11:47pm PDT

Respects were aplenty for one of the key figures in British tennis, who has sadly passed.

View this post on Instagram

We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Paul Hutchins, former player and Great Britain Davis Cup captain. Our thoughts are with his son Ross (our friend and former tournament director) and the rest of Paul’s family and friends, at this very difficult time.

A post shared by Fever-Tree Championships (@fevertreechampionships) on Mar 14, 2019 at 1:56pm PDT

Johanna Konta has wasted no time in returning to the scene of her greatest triumph.

View this post on Instagram

I’m in Miami 😁☀️🌴🌴 #WelcomeToMiami #Florida #USA

A post shared by Johanna Konta (@johannakonta) on Mar 14, 2019 at 2:47pm PDT