Patrick Mouratoglou makes bold US Open pick between Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

Kevin Palmer 26 Aug 2024 4:46 PM

Patrick Mouratoglou speaks to Tennis365 about Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz

Patrick Mouratoglou believes one outstanding favourite has emerged from the pack heading into the US Open, as he is predicting a familiar face will rise to the top once again in New York.

The final Grand Slam of 2024 will dominate the tennis agenda over the next two weeks, with the subplots around this tournament in New York capturing headlines around the world.

The ongoing debate around Jannik Sinner’s failed drug tests at Indian Wells back in March rumbles on, with celebrated coach Mouratoglou quick to suggest the world No 1 received different treatment compared to his former player Simona Halep after she was involved in a similar doping story.

Sinner’s reaction to the controversy that has exploded around him will be a big factor in his hopes of winning a first US Open title, while he is also still troubled by a hip injury concern.

Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz heads to New York after what he admitted was his ‘worst performance ever’ as he lost against Gael Monfils in Cincinnati, with his wins at the French Open and Wimbledon and a run to the final of the Olympics ensuring the Spaniard arrives at the US Open with a lot of matches under his belt over a frantic few months.

The final member of the new ‘Big 3’ in men’s tennis is the veteran and defending champion Novak Djokovic, who is fresh from his gold medal win at the Olympics and eager to claim a 25th Grand Slam title in New York.

They are the three outstanding contenders for the big prize at the US Open, but Mouratoglou believes the veteran is best placed to win again.

“The one who is in the best position at the moment is Novak,” Mouratoglou told Tennis365 in an exclusive interview at the UTS New York event.

“After claiming his gold medal in Paris and the quality of tennis he played to beat Alcaraz in that final, it looked like he was completely back.

“Sinner has these little injuries here and there and even though he won in Cincinnati, he struggled more than usual and it looks like he has the start of an injury with his hip.

“Then you look at Carlos and he had a bad tournament in Cincinnati. I don’t know whether he won so much in the last few months that he has more. I don’t know where he is mentally.

“It’s really difficult to play that many matches week after week and win so much. To keep the focus is tough.

“Definitely, Sinner and Alcaraz can win the US Open, but if you ask me to pick the favourite right now, I go with Novak.”

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Djokovic’s sparkling return to winning ways at the Olympics saw him realise his last big tennis dream and Mouratoglou believes the biggest challenge for the Serbian now will be finding the drive to push for more.

After admitting he was struggling to find motivation for tournaments at the start of 2024, the coach who worked with Serena Williams for much of her Grand Slam-winning career suggests the flame of desire will not be harder than ever for Djokovic to light.

“He showed at the start of the season that he was human,” he added. “I felt that he had a real motivation issue at the start of the season, especially when he saw that Rafa was struggling so much and might not be coming back.

“At the start of this season, it was almost as if Novak felt like the game was over because Rafa was struggling so much and it looked like it would be very difficult for him to come back to the top.

“I think this killed his motivation a little. One of the big motivations of his career was to have more Grand Slams than the two others and he has done that now.

“Then the Olympics come along and this prize that he has never lifted was there for him and his motivation came back. In such a short period of time, he was able to play at his best again.

“For him, it is all going to be about finding the motivation from this point forward. The tennis is there, he is there physically, but it is all about how much he wants to continue.”