Patrick Mouratoglou shared an anecdote about his time coaching Serena Williams, reflecting on an incident that was challenging for them but beneficial for the sport. Mouratoglou, a renowned tennis coach, has had a significant influence on Williams’ illustrious career, during which she secured 23 Grand Slam titles, making her one of the most accomplished players in the history of women’s tennis.
Patrick Mouratoglou recounted the incident from the 2018 US Open final, where his attempt to give Serena Williams advice resulted in a heated argument between Williams and the chair umpire. He described the day as “terrible” for both him and Serena, as they not only lost the title but also faced significant negative media attention. However, Mouratoglou believes that the controversy ultimately benefited tennis by drawing increased attention to the sport.
“It was a terrible day for us,” Patrick Mouratoglou recalled. “It was a bad day, bittersweet day for Naomi. It was her first Grand Slam, but people had more attention on the drama, in a way. For us, it was really painful, and there was a lot of bad press. First of all, the drama was so big because it was a Grand Slam final and it was Serena. All the media all around the world, not just sports media, were talking about tennis. So for tennis, it was a great day. I think we need drama to just draw more attention to the game.”