Patrick Mouratoglou has had a bit of a strange career. He helped Serena Williams reach a high level of success, of course, but he also, accidentally, helped Simona Halep get suspended, basically ending any high level she might still be able to attain. But his recent comments on Novak Djokovic are laughable.
The coach created a video for his Instagram account that talked about Djokovic and his drive to win Grand Slam number 25. Of course, the Serb has 24 major titles total, the most ever on the men's tour, two more than rival Rafael Nadal.
Perhaps the best part of Djokovic's game has always been his ability to outthink and out-prepare his opponents. He is one of the best returners in the history of tennis, of course, and at his peak, he moved around the court as well as anyone. Over the years, he has also improved his serve.
Now, at 38 years old, he might simply have passed his prime to compete with players such as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner for the top ranking on the tour and Grand Slam titles. Still, he is skilled enough to make deep runs at majors, as he has made at least the semifinals of every major since the beginning of 2024.
Patrick Mouratoglou has a terrible take on Novak Djokovic's motivation
He is also fresh off reaching the final of the Australian Open, where he lost to Alcaraz in four sets. In the semifinals, he defeated Jannik Sinner, the reigning two-time champion. Even at his relatively advanced age for a professional tennis player, Novak Djokovic is capable of doing things most players couldn't.
Yet, according to Patrick Mouratoglou, the issue for the Serb isn't skill or age, but simply that he isn't motivated enough. He might have won the elusive 25th major had he only wanted it more, according to Serena's former coach.
Mouratoglou said in his video, "The only obstacle that prevents Novak from winning Grand Slams is his motivation. I don’t think he’s motivated enough for the 25th, otherwise I think he would have done it. He was crazy motivated for the Olympic Games, he made the gold medal, and he beat Alcaraz in the final. Every time he went to a Grand Slam, he was ready to win. Now he’s not, so he doesn’t expect to go all the way."
That is, obviously, a ridiculous opinion. Questioning a player's fitness or skill is fine, but trying to emote about what they are thinking or how much they want to win is not. Mouratoglou can't know how much the Serb wants to win because he isn't Novak Djokovic. There is little doubt that the 24-time major winner wants to win.
Moreover, the "expectation" to win isn't the same as the motivation to do so. Djokovic wouldn't play in tournaments if he didn't want to win. He does, and hopefully, this year he will finally win No. 25.