‘He Has Lot of Doubts’: Serena Williams’ Ex-Coach Talks Alexei Popyrin’s Mental Struggles

Patrick Mouratoglou, who famously coached Serena Williams, recently gave some interesting insights about Alexei Popyrin after the Aussie’s big win at the ATP Masters 1000 in Canada. Mouratoglou, who’s been connected to Popyrin through his academy, mentioned that the young player tends to doubt himself when things get tough. 

When those doubts creep in, Popyrin struggles to believe he can beat the top guys. But Patrick wasn’t exactly shocked by his recent success. He’s always seen the talent in Popyrin. So it was only a matter of time before he started grabbing bigger wins.

Patrick shared his thoughts about Popyrin’s recent success in a video on Instagram.

 

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A post shared by THE COACH (@patrickmouratoglou)

Mouratoglou also said that when Popyrin gets into a good groove, he can be dangerous. When his confidence is up, he can beat anyone, it doesn’t matter who he is facing. 

After his win, fans flooded social media. Agreeing with Mouratoglou—Popyrin has the skills, but it’s all about getting his head in the right place.

Popyrin is the new threat pic.twitter.com/icNoIkw42H

— Tennis world (@claygrasshard) August 18, 2024

He highly praised Popyrin, adding that;

“When everything is together he is a very difficult player to beat, he has a powerful serve, strong forehead and moves very fast on the court.” 

From Academy to ATP: Popyrin’s Journey

Popyrin’s rise started at Patrick Mouratoglou’s academy, where he trained and developed his game. Stories from his time there highlight his determination, even when things weren’t always going his way. Mouratoglou has always been in his corner, seeing his potential before most others did.

Back in 2017, Popyrin started training at the Mouratoglou Academy, and things took off for him after he won the Junior Roland Garros title. By 2019, he was making his mark, winning at least one match in all four Grand Slams and cracking the ATP Top 100 for the first time. He also managed to qualify for 10 ATP main draws, tying Mischa Zverev’s 2016 record.

In 2020, he joined the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS), going up against some of the best players in the world. He grabbed wins over experienced guys like Benoit Paire and Feliciano Lopez, earning the nickname “The Sniper” thanks to his lethal serve and ability to deliver under pressure.

Though Popyrin faced a tough loss in Cincinnati after his Canadian breakthrough, it doesn’t take away from the fact that he’s making waves on tour. He’s still young, and these highs and lows will only help him grow as a player. Keep an eye on him—this won’t be the last we hear from Popyrin.