The appointment of Andy Murray as the coach of Novak Djokovic took the entire tennis world by surprise, including coach Patrick Mouratoglou.
But the Frenchman believes the Scot may have the key to unlocking what Djokovic needs to sustain him as he tries to keep pace with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz at the top of the men’s game, even at the age of 37.
“He’s very smart and I think he might have a smart idea on how to challenge Novak to make him find motivation again,” Mouratoglou says.
Mouratoglou says Djokovic needs motivation to make him do the hard work required to add to his men’s record 24 Grand Slam titles. “He needs to find something to trigger inside himself that will make him want to win as bad as he’s done all his career.”
KEY MOMENTS
0:11 – surprised that Djokovic chose Murray
0:36 – the relationship between Djokovic and Murray
0:45 – “Murray may have a smart idea”
0:58 – “The only thing Novak needs is motivation”
1:30 – Is Murray the right person to motivate Novak?
1.46 – The challenge of taking on Sinner and Alcaraz
2.28 – “If Novak chooses Andy, Andy is legit to coach Novak
But the Frenchman believes the Scot may have the key to unlocking what Djokovic needs to sustain him as he tries to keep pace with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz at the top of the men’s game, even at the age of 37.
“He’s very smart and I think he might have a smart idea on how to challenge Novak to make him find motivation again,” Mouratoglou says.
Mouratoglou says Djokovic needs motivation to make him do the hard work required to add to his men’s record 24 Grand Slam titles. “He needs to find something to trigger inside himself that will make him want to win as bad as he’s done all his career.”
KEY MOMENTS
0:11 – surprised that Djokovic chose Murray
0:36 – the relationship between Djokovic and Murray
0:45 – “Murray may have a smart idea”
0:58 – “The only thing Novak needs is motivation”
1:30 – Is Murray the right person to motivate Novak?
1.46 – The challenge of taking on Sinner and Alcaraz
2.28 – “If Novak chooses Andy, Andy is legit to coach Novak
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SportsTranscript
00:00It's crazy that Andy wants to go back on tour.
00:02Probably the proposition of Novak was difficult to refuse.
00:04You don't refuse to coach the greatest player of all times.
00:10And I cannot say I wasn't surprised when Novak announced
00:13that he was going to work with Andy Murray as his new coach.
00:15I think it makes sense, but I was surprised.
00:17I didn't expect that at all.
00:18But I understand that it's kind of a passion to be on tour,
00:21to live all those emotions.
00:23But also, it's very rare to jump so fast from a player
00:26to a coach's position.
00:27Such a challenge to come back to winning Grand Slams
00:30when the tennis is now dominated outrageously
00:33by Sinner and Alcaraz.
00:35They always had a great relationship.
00:36They're the same age.
00:37They were born in 1987, both of them.
00:39So they played together so much for so long.
00:41They know each other so well.
00:42They have extremely similar games.
00:44Is it a good choice or not?
00:45Time will tell.
00:46Results will tell, as always.
00:48I've been asked many times,
00:50I mean, from people from the tennis world,
00:51what do you think?
00:52Do you think it's a good idea or not?
00:53And I answer that, what does Novak need the most?
00:56I think the only thing that Novak needs is motivation.
00:59After he felt that Rafa was done, start of 2024,
01:04couldn't find motivation anymore.
01:05He didn't drop his level in two months.
01:07This is impossible.
01:08His motivation dropped
01:09because he won the fight between the three,
01:11him, Roger and Rafa.
01:13The only tournament he played really great
01:14was the Olympics,
01:15where he had so much motivation to win it.
01:17So he needs motivation.
01:18He needs to find something to trigger inside himself
01:22that will make him want to win as bad
01:24as he's done all his career.
01:26Is Andy the right person to motivate him?
01:29I would say yes and no.
01:31I would say no because I don't think he has this personality.
01:34He's not pumped.
01:35He's really, really calm, but he's very smart.
01:37And I think that he might have a smart idea
01:41on how to challenge Novak
01:43to make him find motivation again.
01:46Now the challenge is clearly huge
01:47because the level that Alkaraz and Sinner are playing
01:51at the moment is really impressive.
01:54Maybe even more difficult to beat Sinner for Novak
01:56than Alkaraz because Sinner doesn't miss.
01:58Sinner has the same capacities as Novak,
02:02covering the court crazily well,
02:04not missing and taking the ball earlier than Novak.
02:07So for Novak, you will have to, I think,
02:09go back to an incredible shape to dominate Sinner.
02:12I'm not saying that it's going to be easy to beat Alkaraz.
02:14No, it's not going to be.
02:15You have to match his power,
02:17his ability to change the rhythm, change the pace,
02:19change the speed, the spin, the directions,
02:22and also bring an incredible physical challenge.
02:24So I think when you coach someone,
02:26you cannot think that you're not legit.
02:27If he chooses Andy, Andy is legit to coach him.
02:31Whoever you coach, whoever, there is always a challenge.
02:33Two guys born in 87 telling the new generation,
02:36we're still here, guys.
02:37Show us that now you're better than us.