Renown tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou believes holding a Grand Slam title has more significance than an Olympic gold medal, a sentiment that has been rebuffed by Australian tennis player John Millman.

Mouratoglou initially stirred the pot by stating winning a Grand Slam tournament is "100 times" more sought after by most players than securing a gold medal for their country.

"A lot of tennis players don’t feel that it [Olympics] is such an important event for tennis. Initially, tennis was at the Olympics, then it got out, and finally, tennis was reintroduced. As a consequence, there is no history between tennis and the Olympic Games. They feel that a Grand Slam is 100 times more important for a tennis player than the Olympic Games," the Frenchman said in an Instagram reel on his account.

Millman took offense to Mouratoglou's words, claiming the coach had little experience as a player and therefore lacked the authority to make such a statement.

"With all due respect it’s hard to take this seriously. On this topic, I’ll take the word of the players who’ve competed there," said the former World No.33.

Furthermore, he added players were free to prioritize winning a Major title or chasing an Olympic gold medal, although he did take another shot at Mouratoglou when interacting with a fan.

"Not every athlete will feel the same. But I take their opinions a whole lot more serious on this topic than someone who hasn’t sniffed an opening ceremony in their country’s colors," he added.