Patrick Mouratoglou, coach of Naomi Osaka and former coach of Serena Williams, has revealed which of the Big 3 – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic – he would have liked to coach, in an interview with Talking Tennis.
Mouratoglou has chosen Novak Djokovic, explaining that the Serbian’s fitness and high level of motivation are the reasons behind his choice.
“His body is healthier than the bodies of the other two. There has always been a perception that his motivation to be the greatest is high and if you look at how many Grand Slams he is winning you have the answer. Djokovic has sometimes not been aggressive enough in his game,” he said.
Just spoke to Patrick Mouratoglou about
– the UTS Frankfurt event, Dominic Thiem
– his vision for UTS
– the relationship between UTS and the main tour, is there a rivalry, for example with the ATP?
– which one of the big 3 – Nadal, Federer, Djokovic – he would have most like to…
— Talking Tennis (@TalkingTennisTT) October 17, 2024
Asked what he would improve in the 24-time Grand Slam champion’s game, the French coach said that the Serb is sometimes not aggressive enough.
“I think he could have done better, which is difficult to say because he is the greatest of all time. But sometimes I feel that he is not aggressive enough in his game. He is probably the man who covered the court in the best way possible. He has always relied on his return skills and a strong baseline game to overcome his opponent on the basis of power in long rallies. Only in the last few years has he worked on his serve, drop shots and volleys to close points earlier than in the past,” he explained.
Patrick Mouratoglou on his new coaching collaboration with Naomi Osaka:
“We initially spoke a year ago, but I was with Holger at that time.”
“When Naomi plays her best, she’s the best. Now the challenge is to get back there. Her motivation is very high. Now it’s about getting… pic.twitter.com/l4d1WsYoYM
— Talking Tennis (@TalkingTennisTT) October 20, 2024