Sascha Bajin is one of the most interesting coaches on the WTA tour. He won the WTA award for being the coach of the year back in 2018 when he helped Naomi Osaka conquer the US Open after she clinched the prestigious event in Indian Wells. However, he was mysteriously fired by Naomi after she won the Australian Open for unknown reasons.
Coaching Dayana Yastremska
After a brief but successful stint with Kiki Mladenovic, Sascha started a coaching relationship with rising Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska. The partnership between the two was so good that (malignant) gossip hinted about a romance (of course, that was strongly dismissed).
The tennis fans remained quite surprised when they learned that the German coach and Dayana’s relationship was not that great. Yastremska blasted at his coach when he congratulated Naomi Osaka when she beat Dayana 6-3 6-1 at the Western & Southern Open this year (highlights).
Congratulating Naomi Osaka
According to many, praising Naomi Osaka was the reason for the split. However, Sascha refutes this hypothesis to comment:
“No, I just don’t want to believe that. I do not want to say much about this matter now either, because it is not worth mentioning for me. But that was not the reason for the separation. As I said, it was more due to the different approaches,”
Maybe Dayana was a bit annoyed because I congratulated Naomi Osaka of all people. But I always do that. I congratulate the other team, but maybe it bothered them a little more.”
Coaching Karolina Pliskova
Sascha has just started a new partnership with Karolina Pliskova. While the Czech has already been a world no.1 and she has been cruising comfortably in the top10 for long, she hasn’t won a slam yet. Karolina was close to winning her maiden major at the US Open back in 2016 when she lost to Angelique Kerber in the final in 3 sets.
Winning a slam is the declared objective of their partnership.
Dayana Yastremska in 2020
Now ranked no.29, Yastremska played her last match on the 9th of November when she was defeated by Greetje Minnen 6-4 6-3 in the 1st round in Linz (draw).
Dayana Yastremska’s best accomplishment of the present season was reaching the final in Adelaide.
Naomi Osaka in 2020
Ranked no.3, Osaka played her last match on the 12th of September when she overcame Victoria Azarenka 1-6 6-3 6-3 in the final of the U.S. Open to win her 6th career title.
Until now, during this year the Japanese has managed to achieve an overall 16-3 win-loss record. The Japanese has won 1 title at the U.S. Open. The Japanese reached the final in New York.
Dayana Yastremska and Naomi Osaka clashed against each other only on 1 occasion. Their record is 1-0 for Osaka. When they played, Naomi Osaka won 6-3 6-1 in the 3rd round in New York (Western & Southern Open) on the 25th of August 2020.
Here the highlights.
Karolina Pliskova in 2020
At the moment ranked no.6, the Czech played her last match on the 22nd of October when she capitulated to Veronika Kudermetova 4-6 6-4 6-3 in the 2nd round in Ostrava (draw).
This year Karolina has a 14-8 record. Karolina has won 1 title in Brisbane. Karolina was the finalist in Rome.
