Former Serena Williams coach swaps tennis coaching for TV business show role as investor

Monday, 28 September 2026 at 08:30

Former Serena Williams coach Patrick Mouratoglou is taking on a rather unusual new television role, stepping away from the tennis coaching spotlight for a new challenge in the business world. The Frenchman has joined the cast of M6's Qui veut être mon associé ? ("Who wants to be my partner?"), where he will sit alongside a panel of investors and assess projects presented by entrepreneurs.

Mouratoglou is best known for his work with Williams, who won 10 of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles during their partnership, but his coaching career has extended far beyond the American. He has also worked with names including Simona Halep, Grigor Dimitrov, Naomi Osaka and Holger Rune, while more recently coaching Stefanos Tsitsipas at the 2026 US Open.

However, Mouratoglou's business credentials are not limited to his work on the tennis court. He is the founder of the Mouratoglou Academy, which has grown into an international tennis organisation with several locations, combining player development, coaching, education and sports facilities. That experience will now be put to a very different test on French television.

The timing is also significant for the French coach, with the academy celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. After building a business around his name and expanding his activities beyond coaching into media and entrepreneurship, Mouratoglou will now get the opportunity to evaluate other people's businesses and potentially invest in them himself.

Mouratoglou takes a seat among M6 investors

Mouratoglou will join the seventh season of Qui veut être mon associé ?, whose filming has now begun. The programme, which first aired in France in 2020, gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to present their projects to a panel of investors in the hope of securing funding, expertise and business support.

For Mouratoglou, the role represents a significant change from his usual television work. He has become a familiar face on tennis broadcasts and previously worked as a commentator for Roland-Garros, but this time he will be assessing businesses rather than analysing matches.

Patrick Mouratoglou, in the background, watches Simona Halep during a practice session.

He joins an investor panel that includes Marc Simoncini, Éric Larchevêque and Jean-Pierre Nadir. Anthony Bourbon and Kelly Massol are no longer part of the programme's investor line-up for the new season.

Mouratoglou's experience building the academy gives him a business background that goes beyond his reputation as a tennis coach. The organisation has developed into more than a training base, with facilities and programmes designed for professional players, younger athletes and families, while its model has expanded across several locations.

That background could make his presence on the programme particularly relevant. Rather than arriving simply as a sporting celebrity, Mouratoglou will bring years of experience in developing a recognisable brand and turning his expertise in tennis into a wider business operation.

👀 Découvrez les investisseurs de la prochaine saison de « Qui veut être mon associé ? », actuellement en tournage !#QVEMA Saison 7, prochainement sur @M6 et @M6plusofficiel pic.twitter.com/3fU4s7RYwv
— Qui Veut Être Mon Associé ? - Amplify (@qvema_off) September 25, 2026

From tennis coach to tennis entrepreneur

Mouratoglou's name has become one of the most recognisable in modern tennis, with his voice carrying weight both inside the coaching world and across international tennis media. His coaching career began with Marcos Baghdatis in 1999 and later took him to a long list of ATP and WTA players, including Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Laura Robson and Grigor Dimitrov, before his career-defining partnership with Serena Williams.

The Frenchman worked with Williams for 10 years, from 2012 to 2022, during one of the most successful periods of the American's later career. Together they won 10 Grand Slam singles titles, while Mouratoglou became one of the most prominent coaches in the sport. His work with other major names continued afterwards, including Simona Halep, Naomi Osaka, Holger Rune and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

His influence on tennis has also extended beyond individual players. The Mouratoglou Academy, which he founded 30 years ago, has grown into an international tennis organisation with several locations, combining high-performance training, education and facilities for players at different stages of their development.

Read also

He has also moved into the world of tennis entertainment and entrepreneurship as one of the co-creators of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown. The exhibition format has taken professional tennis to different locations around the world while introducing modified rules, shorter matches and a more entertainment-focused presentation, with major ATP names competing for significant prize money.

UTS has attracted a long list of established players, including Félix Auger-Aliassime, Casper Ruud and Alex de Minaur in its 2026 events in Nîmes and Rio. Other Grand Slam champions and leading figures such as Jack Draper, Andrey Rublev, Ben Shelton and Gaël Monfils have also taken part in the format over the years, further establishing it as one of the most prominent exhibition concepts in the sport.

Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist

Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.

His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.

In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.

See author's posts

claps 0visitors 0

Another former No. 1 joins Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray as star-studded exhibition takes shape