Osaka and coach Jermaine Jenkins part ways

Following her US Open fourth-round exit, Naomi Osaka has parted ways with Jermaine Jenkins, just six months after welcoming him to her coaching team. The 21-year-old put out a statement on Thursday to announce the split.

“I’m writing this to announce that me and Jay [Jermaine Jenkins] won’t be working together anymore,” Osaka posted on Twitter. I’m super grateful for the time we spent together and the things I learned on and off the court but I feel like now is [an] appropriate time for a change.”

The news comes hours after Simona Halep announced that she will be reuniting with Darren Cahill in 2020, who took a year off from his coaching duties to spend more time his family.

A month before hiring Jenkins, Osaka had split with Sascha Bajin. The separation happened two weeks after she lifted her second career Grand Slam at the Australian Open. With that win, she took over the No. 1 spot for the first time. There was some speculation as to why the two went their separate ways but no official reason publicized.

Since joining forces with Jenkins, Osaka has reached just one semifinal. She has struggled with form and injuries, failing to get past the fourth round of a major. Her new coach is rumored to be Wim Fissette, who has coached Grand Slam champions such as Kim Clijsters, Angelique Kerber and Victoria Azarenka.

Next up for Osaka is Wuhan, where she accepted a wild card into the event. She is No. 4 in the WTA rankings.