Super-coach Patrick Mouratoglou opens up the impact he has had on Serena Williams

Patrick Mouratoglou has insisted he has only played a small part in the record breaking success of Serena Williams and admitted he would not have been able to find a recipe to beat her if he had coached one of her rivals.
Williams and Mouratoglou have enjoyed a long coaching relationship that has survived several highs and lows, including her storm exit from last year’s US Open, when the coach publicly admitted he was guilty of coaching the American superstar from the sidelines.
That confession infuriated Williams, but the duo are still working together and he spoke about why the 23-time Grand Slam champion has been almost unbeatable.
“Whoever I would’ve coached, I don’t think I would’ve beaten Serena – no chance,” he told Eurosport.
“I think Serena is Serena, with or without me. I think I helped her take the best out of herself at a period of time in her career. But I don’t think that if I had coached Sharapova, or whoever else, I would’ve been able to beat Serena. Serena is just Serena.
“We’re just the coach, a part of their story, where we can make a big difference in their career. But if Serena or Roger (Federer) are the best player of all time, with or without us, they would still be a top, top player.
“Maybe they would’ve won less grand slams, but their qualities would still be there. With Serena, when I started to work with her she already had 13 grand slams. She was already a little bit difficult to beat. I trust my job and the quality of my work, but I’m trying also to be lucid, and I can’t make a player be someone that he’s not.
“The players are who they are, their potential is their potential – I’m not going to take a player who is No 3 in the world, and make her become much better than Serena if she doesn’t already have the possibility to become better than Serena. I don’t think anybody can be better than the best Serena.”
He went on to suggest a coach can have a big influence on a player, as he cited Boris Becker’s successful partnership with Novak Djokovic as a case in point.
“Nobody becomes great by himself, that doesn’t exist,” he added. “That’s the case for in anything, and in tennis, of course not. The question is should the coach be visible or not. I think you’ve also fair to the coaches, because I think what Boris did with Novak was unbelievable, he brought him to a different level.
“I think what Magnus Norman did with Stan Wawrinka was unbelievable, and I don’t think those guys would’ve had the same career without their coach. They deserve most of the credit, the players for sure.
“Do you think Andy Murray would’ve had the same career without Ivan Lendl? I don’t think so, but we’ll never know. We see there’s a big impact of the coach, not all the time, but through the career of some players.
“I think it’s fair to give them the opportunity to show what they bring to the players. It’s a fair thing, and there’s a reason why all the other sports decided to legalise coaching, and more than that, to show the coaches, their work and let the coaches be part of the show – in boxing or in any other discipline.”
Watch the Australian Open LIVE and exclusive only on Eurosport and Eurosport Player
More from Tennis365:
-
-
Matt Smith: Australian Open display convinced Andy Murray to have more hip surgery
-
Roger Federer’s response to John McEnroe’s snipe suggests he still has fire in his belly
-
Johnny Nic: Don’t subject Andy Murray to mawkishly undignified Wimbledon send-off
-
Exclusive: Mats Wilander gives his verdict on rising superstar Stefanos Tsitsipas to Tennis365
-
Comment: Alexander Zverev’s disdain for Stefanos Tsitsipas sows the seeds of great rivalry
-
Latest
-
Davis Cup
Innsbruck and Turin get the nod to join Madrid as 2021 Davis Cup Finals co-hosts
Davis Cup Finals to be staged in three cities.
-
Tennis News
Daniil Medvedev’s red dirt confession: ‘I really don’t enjoy playing on clay’
Daniil Medvedev not a fan getting dirty.
-
News
Johanna Konta focuses on fitness ahead of clay season, but is still up for the Billie Jean King Cup
British No 1 Johanna Konta resting her knee.
-
ATP Tour
‘I don’t give a damn. The circuit has become rotten,’ says Benoit Paire after Monte-Carlo Masters defeat
“I no longer have the spark,” says Benoit Paire.
-
Tennis Today
Tennis Today: Andy Murray urged to ‘keep going’, Serena Williams dons a gown, glory for Lleyton Hewitt’s son
Tennis Today features Murray, Hewitt, Serena and Kyrgios.
-
ATP Tour
Novak Djokovic mentally and physically ready as he prepares to get dirty again for glory on clay
Novak Djokovic set for 2021 clay-season debut.
-
Tennis Features
The Monte-Carlo Masters: Cool facts and figures as Rafael Nadal chases 12th title in the Principality
Some cool info about the Monte-Carlo Masters.
-
ATP Tour
‘Confident’ Rafael Nadal gives fitness update as he sets sights on ‘important part of the season’
Rafael Nadal says his “body is in good shape”.
-
Tennis Top 10
Top 10 tennis coaches featuring Toni Nadal, Ivan Lendl and Marian Vajda
Isaac Seelochan ranks his top 10 tennis coaches.