Tennis icon Naomi Osaka made a surprising announcement on Friday, revealing that she is parting ways with Evolve, the sports agency she co-founded three years ago with longtime agent Stuart Duguid. The four-time Grand Slam champion shared the news directly with fans through Instagram, while leaving the details of her future plans unclear.
Almost immediately, speculation began swirling across the tennis world about what may have prompted her to step away from the agency she helped create.
Naomi Osaka Announces Split From Evolve
Naomi Osaka posted her announcement on Instagram on Friday, writing that she would be “parting ways with Evolve” starting in the new year. Her post read,
“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. When I make my decision on where I’ll go next, you’ll hear it from me. Thank you for supporting me always, and I’m so excited for the year ahead!”
After her IMG contract ended in late 2021, Osaka launched her own agency, Evolve, in early 2022 with longtime agent Stuart Duguid. In 2022, Osaka’s endorsement deals were higher than any other female athlete that year. The agency quickly signed big names like Nick Kyrgios in 2022 and World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at the start of 2025. They also added young American player Iva Jovic and Russian player Anna Kalinskaya to their roster.
But that early success didn’t last as Osaka’s endorsement earnings started to drop significantly. In 2023, when she took the year off to recover from injuries and have her daughter, Shai, her total earnings fell to just $15 million.
When she returned in 2024, things didn’t improve much: she earned around $12 million. In 2025, even though she climbed back to No. 16 and won her first title as a mother in May, her endorsement money was only around $10 million.
MORE: Naomi Osaka Sends a Message About Sudden Split With Evolve
By mid-2025, Evolve’s focus had shifted mainly to Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios, particularly their Battle of the Sexes exhibition match scheduled for December 28. Osaka’s contract with Evolve was set to end at the close of 2025, and starting in 2026, she’ll return to IMG, her previous agency. Going back to IMG is notable because that’s where she was during her best years, when she was winning Grand Slams and earning the most money.
Tennis Fans React to Osaka’s Announcement
Osaka’s announcement got mixed reactions from tennis fans on social media. She kept things upbeat in her post, saying nice things about her time at Evolve, but that didn’t stop fans from speculating about what’s really going on.
Some fans are excited about what’s next for her, thinking this could be a fresh start. Others are reading into it more, wondering what happened behind the scenes and whether there was a real falling out between Osaka and the agency she started.
MORE: Naomi Osaka Makes Major Career Move As Japanese Cuts Ties With Agency She Co-Founded
One fan wrote, “i can stop hating on Naomi now”
i can stop hating on naomi now https://t.co/3ce2zYSC7W pic.twitter.com/eRBApNKAjO
— ani (@goatnikgodkina) December 18, 2025
Another fan shared a speculation regarding the situation, writing, “Complete speculation: the current Evolve mess is nothing compared to whatever’s coming next, and Naomi decided to jump off ship before that happens”
Complete speculation: the current Evolve mess is nothing compared to whatever’s coming next, and Naomi decided to jump off ship before that happens https://t.co/7VPJeGZzD9
— tomera (@MjTomera) December 19, 2025
Talking about the Kyrgios and Sabalenka situation, one fan added, “At least Naomi can escape the wreckage of Sabalenka and Kyrgios. But why leave your own agency she (presumably?) owns a shareholding in? Must be a serious falling out…”
At least Naomi can escape the wreckage of Sabalenka and Kyrgios. But why leave your own agency she (presumably?) owns a shareholding in? Must be a serious falling out… https://t.co/7HR96OAFM0
— Danny (@Emmagoatcanu) December 18, 2025
However, one fan’s perspective was different from others as they wrote, “People saying “she’s free” like it wasn’t her agency and she wasn’t the one doing promotional tour for Kyrgios lmaooo. It’s giving washing your hands off after creating a mess”
People saying “she’s free” like it wasn’t her agency and she wasn’t the one doing promotional tour for Kyrgios lmaooo. It’s giving washing your hands off after creating a mess https://t.co/sc91vFvEJb
— FlopMi (@J0ank4) December 19, 2025
As Osaka prepares for the 2026 season, her departure from Evolve marks a significant turning point in her business career and professional trajectory. The decision underscores the complexities of athlete entrepreneurship and the challenges inherent in balancing personal ambitions with agency management responsibilities in the evolving sports industry landscape.
