Australian Open Champion Naomi Osaka has announced a surprising split with coach Sascha Bajin to abruptly end their momentous 13-month partnership.
The split comes just three weeks after the 21-year-old claimed her second straight major title at the Australian Open, which launched her to World No.1.
Under Bajin's guidance Osaka rose from number 72 to the top of the world rankings within a year, taking out back-to-back Grand Slams at the US and Australian Opens.
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The world No.1 took to Twitter on Tuesday morning to announce her shock split with Bajin.
"I will no longer be working together with Sascha," she tweeted.
"I thank him for his work and wish him all the best in the future."
No further information has yet been given.
Hey everyone, I will no longer be working together with Sascha. I thank him for his work and wish him all the best in the future.
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@Naomi_Osaka_) February 11, 2019
Alongside the German coach it took Osaka just 20 weeks to rise to No.1 after making her Top 10 debut. That's the fastest of any player in WTA history.
Bajin became the first recipient of the WTA Coach of the Year award after guiding Osaka through her exponential rise in 2018.
In their second tournament together, Osaka produced her career best result at a Grand Slam event. At the Australian Open, the then 20-year-old reached the fourth round after defeating two top twenty players in Elena Vesnina and Australia's Ash Barty.
The Japanese went on to claim her first WTA title of her career at Indian Wells in March, defeating Maria Sharapova, Karolina Pliskova and Simona Halep to achieve the feat.
Thank you so much 🙏🏽 True Honor to receive this award, but it wouldn’t have been possible without my whole team and Naomi who’s been just simply amazing all year. Easy to be a good coach when you have a student like her and team like ours behind you. I feel truly blessed ❤️ https://t.co/2MuixCMaKF
— sascha Bajin (@BigSascha) January 3, 2019
Osaka defeated Serena Williams in a controversal US Open final to claim her first major title last September, also moving into top 10 for the first time.
Adding her third victory to her growing list of honours in January, Osaka credited her team and Bajin, for their part in her rapid rise to Grand Slam success.
"Thanks to my team, I don’t think I would have made it through this week without you," she said after her Australian Open triumph.
"Behind every tennis player is a great team."
Prior to coaching Osaka, the 34-year-old German spent eight years as Serena Williams' hitting partner and spent a short stint with Caroline Wozniacki.
Osaka, who withdrew from this week's Qatar Open due to a back injury, has not yet announced a replacement for Bajin.
