Patrick Mouratoglou, who coaches Naomi Osaka, has compared tennis’s current top players with the greats of the past. Specifically, the French coaching guru was asked if Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are playing a higher level of tennis than the three widely accepted greatest players in history – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Mouratoglou is a highly respected figure in world tennis. A tennis coach and commentator, he owns and operates the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in the South of France. Mouratoglou was Serena Williams’s coach from 2012 to 2022, and also guided Grigor Dimitrov and Holger Rune, among others.
Mouratoglou was answering questions on his Instagram account, in the lead-up to the French Open semifinal in which Sinner and Djokovic will bridge two very different eras in the men’s game. 24-time Major champion Djokovic is still competing at the top of his game despite being 38 years old.
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Mouratoglou prefaced his remarks by saying he was uncomfortable about comparing eras, given the vast differences in equipment and fitness:
"I dont like to compare eras. Roger was the best possible player playing that type of game when he was playing. It was impossible to do better, but actually Alcaraz does. The more time passes, the more tennis is professional. The equipment is better, the fitness is better."
Despite the difficulties in making a comparison, however, the coach is adamant that both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are playing a higher standard of tennis than their illustrious predecessors:
"So I think the level of Sinner/Alcaraz is higher than the level of Roger-Rafa, or Roger-Novak at that time. Not incredibly higher, but it's higher. And I always said Sinner is a Novak 2.0, in terms of level, not in terms of achievement."
Mouratoglou believes there are striking similarities in the games of Federer and Alcaraz and in the games of Sinner and Djokovic. He added that tennis has simply evolved:
"If you look at the physicality of Alcaraz, it's higher than Roger. Sinner plays the same type of tennis as Novak, but more aggressive, taking the balls earlier, playing faster. So is it higher? Yes. Can Novak beat him? Yes."
It is interesting that despite his view, Mouratoglou still believes that Djokovic can beat World No. 1 Sinner. The pair will vie for a place in the French Open final on June 6.
Novak Djokovic is defying nature and still challenging for the French Open title at 38
Given Patrick Mouratoglou's views, it's astonishing that he still gives Novak Djokovic a good chance of beating Sinner in Paris. The irrepressible Serb has only lost one set en route to the semifinal and looks perfectly capable of capturing his fourth French Open title and his 25th Grand Slam. Interviewed by The Guardian, Djokovic agreed with Mouratoglou's conclusions:
"These kind of matchups and challenges in a way extract the best out of me. Playing best-of-five, late stages of a grand slam against No 1 in the world, you can’t get more motivated than that for me at this age."
It will take a huge effort from Djokovic to unseat the 23-year-old Italian. Sinner is yet to lose a set at this year's tournament and has looked imperious in every match.
