Patrick
Mouratoglou compared
Roger Federer and
Novak Djokovic, highlighting the Serbian
player's ability to win multiple Grand Slams after the age of 35.
The former
coach of Serena Williams recently commented on the difference between 'Fed' and
'Nole' in his opinion.
According
to Mouratoglou, Djokovic's consistency is something that Federer did not have
at the same age. Since turning 35, the Swiss player was able to win Wimbledon
and the Australian Open in 2017 and 2018, with the latter being his last Slam
victory at the age of 36.
On the
other hand, Djokovic won each Grand Slam from the time he turned 35 in May
2022. In his last five appearances, he only missed the final at Wimbledon in
2023, while in 2022, he was not available for the US Open. Mouratoglou
expressed the opinion that Federer did not have the same consistency as
Djokovic at the same age:
“Often hear
that what Roger did between 2017 and 2019 is as good as what Novak is doing
now, and that Roger was a better player in 2017, 2018, than before. But at 36,
37, Roger was not able to win three out of four Grand Slams and be consistent
all year long and be really, one step above all the players. This didn’t
happen."
“The
difference is Novak, he’s physically as good today as he was when he was 26.
That’s a huge difference. When you are at that level physically, you can be
consistent all year long and beat all the best players in the world on a
consistent basis. That’s a big difference," Mouratoglou said.
Furthermore,
he emphasized that Federer was a better tennis player at the age of 37:
"I
think that Roger was a better player in a way in 2018 than he was before,
actually for one main reason. His backhand.
"He
took a major decision, and he started to take the ball much earlier on the
backhand side, and to return flat, rather than return slice, systematically.
That made a big difference," Patrick Mouratoglou said.