Naomi Osaka has finally drawn a firm line under the confusion surrounding her departure from Evolve, insisting she was never an owner of the agency so often described as her own. Speaking candidly in a recent interview, the four-time Grand Slam champion pushed back against the narrative that framed her exit as a dramatic split from a company she helped build.
The move back to IMG, her former representatives, raised eyebrows precisely because Evolve had long been perceived as “Osaka’s agency” — a boutique project tied closely to her name and profile. Osaka now says that perception was misplaced, even if it did not appear out of thin air.
“It Was a Client-Agent Contract — Nothing More”
“I feel like people are a little confused,” Osaka said.
“Like, I know what the headlines say, but when I signed my contract with Evolve, it was a client-agent contract, so I didn’t have any shares or equity. I never did.”
The clarification matters. Evolve, co-founded by her former agent Stuart Duguid, initially represented only Osaka before expanding to a carefully curated roster that included Nick Kyrgios, Aryna Sabalenka, Ons Jabeur and Anna Kalinskaya. The agency’s small but high-impact client list only deepened the assumption that Osaka was more than just its most famous name.
Osaka admitted the stress came from that public association without actual control. “There are just some things that I disagreed with,” she said. “And having your name so publicly attached to something, and then like every decision they make, I don’t have control in that — it was just really stressful for me.”
What Was Promised — And What Never Materialized
Journalist Ben Rothenberg, who first reported Osaka’s departure in December, pressed her on why the confusion persisted when the project was repeatedly framed as “Osaka’s new agency.” Osaka did not deny that such an outcome had once been envisioned.
“I would just say: That’s obviously what I wanted and what was promised,” she said, stopping short of detailing how or why that vision unraveled.
The disconnect became more visible as Evolve stepped into the spotlight beyond traditional representation, most notably by organizing the controversial Battle of the Sexes-style exhibition in Dubai featuring Sabalenka and Kyrgios — an event that polarized the tennis world during the off-season.
Back at the Australian Open, With Familiar Stakes
While the business questions settle, Osaka’s tennis is moving forward with purpose. She returns to the Australian Open as the No.16 seed, her first seeding at Melbourne Park since 2022, and will open her campaign against Croatia’s Antonia Ružić in the night session on Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday, January 20.
The setting suits her. Osaka lifted the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup in 2019, beating Petra Kvitova, and again in 2021 with a straight-sets win over Jennifer Brady. Her last visit ended in a third-round exit in 2025, but her trajectory since then has shifted sharply upward.
A runner-up finish at the Canadian Open marked her first WTA 1000 final since 2022, followed by a US Open semifinal run — her deepest showing at a major since that 2021 triumph in Melbourne. Looking physically refreshed, Osaka enters 2026 with momentum restored and expectations quietly rising again.