‘If Roger Federer is the best, Novak Djokovic is the strongest,’ says Patrick Mouratoglou

ATP Tour

Tennis365
December 30, 2018

Novak Djokovic’s return to the top of tennis in 2018 has proven he is the strongest player of all time, claims Serena Williams’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

The Serb completed a stunning turnaround last season by becoming the first player to start a year outside the world’s top 20 and finish it at number one.

“Novak dominates the tennis world when he is at his best,” Mouratoglou told Le Figaro.

“If Roger Federer is the greatest player of all time, Novak is the strongest.”

Djokovic started the 2018 season in awful form, which most have put down to an embow injury.

However, Mouratoglou offers a different explanation for it.

“Nole’s comeback on the throne of the world is really one of most meaningful events of this 2018 year”, said Mouratoglou.

“It was predictable and unpredictable.

“Unpredictable because he had mentally gone away. His team got removed in order to leave the place to (motivational life coach) Pepe Imaz, a very controversial character.

“Split from his entire team, he had lost his soul as a player.

“During his matches, he seemed to not be interested in events, which he was usually living at 100% emotionally.

“But his comeback at the top was also predictable because the decline of his game level was caused exclusively by his mental status that had changed.

“You could always imagine that if the warrior Novak came back, results would have followed. That’s what happened.

“He came back to his old team and he seemed to be more interested to the tournaments.

“His comeback confirms my opinion on his qualities.”