Patrick Mouratoglou has a really attention-grabbing idea on Novak Djokovic’s subpar yr on the Grand Slam stage as Serena Williams’ former coach thinks understanding that he beat Rafael Nadal within the Slam race might have mentally impacted the Serb and his motivation ranges.
When the 2023 season began, the 37-year-old was nonetheless one Main behind the Spaniard. However after making all 4 finals final yr and including three Slams to his final assortment, the Serbian tennis large turned the first-ever male with 24 Slams.
Whereas Nadal was capable of kick off his post-hip surgical procedure comeback within the first week of 2024, he immediately picked up an harm and did not play on the Australian Open. The 38-year-old’s solely Grand Slam this season was the French Open, the place he misplaced within the first spherical.
On the opposite facet, Djokovic appeared in all 4 Majors – however did not win a single title on that stage for the primary time since 2017. However since his greatest rival is ready to formally retire at subsequent month’s Davis Cup Finals, he’s assured to complete with the all-time Grand Slam file.
“For Novak it’s solely about his motivation. I perceive that he struggles with it for the time being as a result of all his profession was about beating the opposite two and up being higher than them, that was the struggle of his life in tennis and he gained. So to maintain his motivation now, it’s very troublesome. ow that Rafa is retiring, the entire yr that was the issue, that’s how I see it, I don’t know if I’m proper, this yr for Novak was robust,” Mouratoglou informed Tennis365.
“It is because from the beginning of the season you could possibly see that Rafa was struggling a lot and possibly got here to his thoughts, nicely I gained. Whenever you struggle all of your life for one thing and also you lastly get it, the place do you discover the motivation? So I hope this troublesome yr is one thing he’ll be capable to use to feed his motivation and are available again subsequent yr nearly as good because the earlier one as a result of then we’ll have a struggle between these three that’s going to be unbelievable and I need to see it.”
Mouratoglou backs Djokovic for extra Grand Slam success
When the time got here for the 2024 Australian Open, there was little question who was the highest favourite for the title. However from the early phases of the event, one thing appeared a bit off within the file 10-time Australian Open champion’s recreation. And whereas he managed to make it previous his opening 5 matches in Melbourne, he was given no probability by Jannik Sinner within the semifinal.
A few months later, Djokovic reached the French Open quarterfinal however needed to withdraw attributable to a knee harm. At Wimbledon, the 37-year-old received overwhelmed by Carlos Alcaraz within the last for a second consecutive yr. The US Open title protection was a disaster after the present world No. 4 suffered a shock third-round loss to Alexei Popyrin.
Djokovic perhaps did not win a Slam title this season however he captured the gold medal on the Paris Olympics and accomplished his resume.
Heading into the 2025 season, Sinner and Alcaraz – who splits Majors between them this yr – are thought of the 2 high favorites for the most important titles subsequent yr. However Mouratoglou – who lately began working with Naomi Osaka – will not be prepared but to write down off the file 24-time Main winner.
“I feel he had a really unhealthy yr, nevertheless it got here after an unimaginable yr. Let’s not overlook that solely final yr he gained three Grand Slams and performed within the last of the opposite. So we shouldn’t overlook that was only one yr in the past, not ten years in the past, only one yr in the past. He gained the Olympics which was his important focus this yr, beating Carlos within the last, taking part in implausible tennis, so he isn’t far-off. I feel he can beat them (Sinner and Alcaraz). It’s very arduous, there was lots of margin earlier than, however now there’s none. When he performs them I feel anybody can win, however I don’t assume he’s far behind. I feel he can nonetheless win Grand Slams, I’m positive about it,” Mouratoglou defined.
In one in all his current interviews, Djokovic mentioned that he’s conscious that some are pushing the narrative that he’s finished and that he ought to stroll away from tennis. Nonetheless, he made it clear that he plans to maintain taking part in and return for the 2025 season.
For the reason that Australian Open has been by far Djokovic’s most profitable Grand Slam, there is no such thing as a doubt that the 37-year-old will arrive in Australia seeking to finish his Slam drought there.
