Novak Djokovic’s technique, skillset and other attributes of his game are a notch above the exalted standards set by most players on the ATP tour. The record attests to Novak’s class — with 24 singles Grand Slam titles some even rate him higher than Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. He is one of the most complete players to grace the tennis court. However, renowned coach Patrick Mouratoglou felt there are chinks in Djokovic’s armor which he would change given an opportunity to coach him.
While speaking to Talking Tennis, the French coach was asked which player among the Big Three — Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic — would he have liked to train. Mouratoglou, the former coach of Serena Williams, chose Novak.
Elaborating on his choice, Mouratoglou said that Djokovic’s fitness and high level of motivation were his reasons for picking him.
“First because he would play longer. His body is healthier than the two others’ bodies. I feel that his motivation to become the greatest was so huge and if you look at how many Grand Slams he was winning, I thought at some point he’s gonna become the greatest and he did it,” reasoned Mouratoglou.
Having analyzed some of the greatest tennis players of the era, Mouratoglou is well aware of their weaknesses. And he did have an area in Djokovic’s game that requires attention. Despite labeling him the “greatest of all time,” the coach thought the Serb was at times not “aggressive enough.”
“What I think he could have done better, which is tough to say because he is the greatest of all time. I feel sometimes he is not aggressive enough in his game. He’s probably the guy who covered the court in the best possible way,” explained the French coach.
@pmouratoglou spoke to Talking Tennis about which of the big three – Nadal, Djokovic, Federer – he would most like to have coached, why he would make that choice, and what he might have brought to the table.
Full interview will be up on our @YouTube channel shortly, where he… pic.twitter.com/J9NskbzW53
— Talking Tennis (@TalkingTennisTT) October 17, 2024
Mouratoglou’s assessment of Djokovic is accurate to an extent. Relatively speaking, he certainly is not as aggressive as the likes of Nadal. Djokovic relies on his returns and a punchy baseline game to outdo his opponents. He thrives in long rallies. That said, in recent years, he has worked on his serve, drop shots and volleys to finish off points earlier than he used to.
A lot of credit for that would go to Goran Ivanisevic, under whom Djokovic won 12 Grand Slams. He was coached by Ivanisevic from 2017 to early 2024. Mouratoglou assumed Djokovic was more coachable than his rivals. Ivanisevic, though, has revealed that it was never easy.
Ivanisevic’s stressful experience of coaching Djokovic
Djokovic’s drive to become one of the greatest players in tennis history has egged him on to go beyond his limits. However, that relentless pursuit of excellence takes its toll on not just the player, but his coaches as well.
Ivanisevic recently said that the Serb can at times keep coaches stressed if things aren’t going in the right direction. The Croatian compared Djokovic to Real Madrid in soccer while trying to illustrate the pressure coaches deal with while associated with these big names.
“He’s not an easy guy, let’s put it this way. Especially when something’s not going his way. He keeps you stressed, the stress level is always high. It never goes down. But every day you learn something,” added Ivanisevic.
Coaching Djokovic is as big a challenge as facing him on the court, one can say. However, things could have been different had Mouratoglou partnered with him. Then again, could the French coach have added something extra to Djokovic’s game?
The Serb has achieved everything possible in the sport. It is hard to imagine a coach adding more.
