Abstract The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the dominant mode of interannual variability in the Earth system, exerting profound influences on global weather and climate. One notable impact is its ability to generate a dipole‐like sea level pressure anomaly pattern over the North Atlantic, resembling the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), with El Niño (La Niña) corresponding to a concurrent negative (positive) NAO‐like response during late boreal winter. Recent research further suggests that ENSO can induce an opposite‐phase NAO response in the following winter. Through observational analysis and atmospheric model experiments, we demonstrate that the delayed positive NAO‐like response following El Niño is likely linked to the ENSO cycle, specifically the transition from El Niño to La Niña. Without this phase transition, the reversal of the North Atlantic response 1 year later largely diminishes. This finding highlights the important role of tropical ocean in shaping long‐range climate predictability.