Tennis Fans Surprised By Naomi Osaka’s Agency Change
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka had important news to share with her fans this Friday.
Osaka, 28, enjoyed a bounce-back season on the WTA Tour. The former world No. 1 really hit her stride at the National Bank Open, defeating Jelena Ostapenko, Elina Svitolina, and Clara Tauson en route to making the final. That momentum carried over to the US Open, where she fell short to Amanda Anisimova in a three-set semifinal match.
"It's been so much hard work that you guys haven't seen, I'm just grateful to my team and happy to be healthy," Osaka said after reaching the semifinals at Flushing Meadows.
Speaking of Osaka's team, there'll be a few changes made for the 2026 season.
Switching agencies.
Back in 2022, Osaka announced that she and her agent, Stuart Duguid, co-founded their own sports agency called Evolve. They signed Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios as their first client.
Fast forward to December of 2025, and Osaka has ultimately decided to part ways with her own agency.
"Hi everyone, writing this to say starting in the new year I’ll be parting ways with Evolve. It’s been a great run and I’m so grateful for all the memories shared," Osaka wrote on Instagram. "When I make my decision on where I’ll go next, you’ll hear it from me."
"Wow," one fan replied to Osaka's announcement.
"End of year with all these breakups!! The stage is set for an interesting 2026," another fan said. "I’m apprehensive and excited at the same time. Let’s go!!"
"Thought this was a retirement post. Whew! Scared me for a minute," a third fan commented.
"I hope you still gone get a check off your good name from them," a social media user said.
Duguid hasn't commented on Osaka's departure. It's unclear if this move surprised all parties involved.
According to tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg, the expectation is that Osaka will return to IMG.
Osaka has not yet shared her plans for the 2026 season. As always though, she'll have fans in her corner.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Dec 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the Tennis section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
