The last dance was an epic one. And of course emotional. I’ll cherish our rivalry forever, @rafaelnadal 👑. Tennis will miss you. As-salamu alaykum, Riyadh. #SixKingsSlam is a special tournament. See you soon 🙏🏼
"I always thought he would become the greatest" - Patrick Mouratoglou selects member of Big Three he would have liked to coach
ATPThursday, 24 October 2024 at 09:40
The era of the Big Three of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic is slowly coming to an end. Renown coach Patrick Mouratoglou gave his thoughts on the dynamic trio, and revealed which member he'd have liked to coach on the ATP Tour.
Federer retired in 2022, Nadal announced he will be retiring at this year's Davis Cup in November, and Djokovic has reduced his schedule as he focuses solely on Grand Slam titles. With all three men holding at least 20 Major titles and the World No.1 ranking at some point during their careers, it must take someone special to be a part of their respective coaching teams.
Mouratoglou reveals he would have liked to coach Djokovic
The Frenchman has worked with several top stars in the past, ranging from WTA legend Serena Williams to Simona Halep, Holger Rune and currently Naomi Osaka. In an interview with Talking Tennis, Mouratoglou was asked which member of the legendary Big Three he would have liked to work with.
“I think they are all, the three are so unique. Any of the three I would have liked for sure; if I had to pick one I would I pick Novak,” Mouratoglou said. “I said this several years ago, ‘I think he’s gonna become the greatest’, when he had only 15 Grand Slams. I mean only, sorry it’s a lot, but compared to what he has now.
“They are the three best players of all time, so to work with one of them is something so special, but if I had to pick one, I would pick Novak because I always thought he would become the greatest.
“First because he would play longer, his body is healthier than the two others’ body. And I feel that his motivation to become the greatest was so huge. And if you looked at how many Grand Slams per year he was winning, I thought at some point he was gonna become the greatest, and he did it.
"So for that reason, as we are involved in this competitive world, and [if] you work with one of the three, you want to work with the one you think if gonna become the greatest.
“I’m not saying he’s playing better than the others, I don’t want to be offensive to the others when I say that. But at some point, to name someone the greatest, it has to be with achievements. And in terms of achievements, he’s the greatest."
“They are the three best players of all time, so to work with one of them is something so special, but if I had to pick one, I would pick Novak because I always thought he would become the greatest.
“First because he would play longer, his body is healthier than the two others’ body. And I feel that his motivation to become the greatest was so huge. And if you looked at how many Grand Slams per year he was winning, I thought at some point he was gonna become the greatest, and he did it.
"So for that reason, as we are involved in this competitive world, and [if] you work with one of the three, you want to work with the one you think if gonna become the greatest.
“I’m not saying he’s playing better than the others, I don’t want to be offensive to the others when I say that. But at some point, to name someone the greatest, it has to be with achievements. And in terms of achievements, he’s the greatest."
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