Following recent defeatist comments, tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou wants to help Novak Djokovic change his mindset around winning grand slam titles.
When Djokovic defeated Daniil Medvedev in the 2023 US Open final to win his record 24th Slam, few would have predicted he would not win a major in the next two years, but that is exactly what has happened.
The Serbian reached all four Grand Slam finals in 2023 as he won the Australian Open, French Open and US Open while Carlos Alcaraz defeated him in the Wimbledon final, but this year he failed to reach a final.
He lost in the semi-final at the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and most recently the US Open with eventual champion Alcaraz ending his run at Flushing Meadows, making it the first time since 2017 that he failed to reach a final at one of the majors.
After his lost to Alcaraz, Djokovic was downcast and admitted he is facing “a very, very difficult task” to overcome Jannik Sinner and Alcaraz at the majors.
The former world No 1 stated: “It will be very difficult for me in the future to overcome the hurdle of Sinner and Alcaraz in the best of five in the Grand Slams.
“I think I have a better chance in best of three but best of five, it’s tough. I’m not giving up on Grand Slams in that regard. Having said that, I’m going to continue fighting and trying to get to the finals and fight for another trophy at least. But it’s going to be a very, very difficult task.”
Speaking on the Business of Sport podcast, the Frenchman said: “He is the best of all time without any doubt. But even the way he expresses it makes me feel that he doesn’t believe he can.
“When you hear the press conference after his loss against Alcaraz at the US Open. He basically says, ‘I don’t know how I can do that.’ If he doesn’t believe, then it’s not going to happen.”
But all is not lost, and Mouratoglou feels the 38-year-old can turn things around in 2026, but then he needs to change his mentality.
So what would he, Mouratoglou, do to give Djokovic the self-belief again?
“I would make sure that Novak would really believe that he could beat them, because I think that he can. I think it’s a question of motivation. In his career, when it was a question of life or death for him, he was always successful,” he said.
“I think the example of the final of the Olympic Games is a great example. He was completely dominated by Carlos and Jannik and not winning anything, and then suddenly the Olympics come, and it’s a title he wants more than anything, and he delivers the match to beat Carlos in the final.”
He added: “So the motivation, and I understand when you have fought all your life to become the greatest, and you finally make it, what is behind? How can you be as motivated as before? It’s almost impossible.
“I would really think of how to bring the fire back, that’s what I would think. I don’t know if I would find a solution, but that’s what I would really look for because I think that’s the only key.”
