Novak Djokovic was dumped out of the Australian Open in the semi-finals in a shock loss to Jannik Sinner mainly due to his run in Melbourne where he is a 10-time champion and despite not looking 100% all week, he looked to be heading towards number 11. But renowned coach, Patrick Mouratoglou sees relief likely as an emotion in time for the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
With the Golden Slam chance now gone and number 11 not on his mind for another year with a first loss since 2018, Mouratoglou says that in a few days he will see the side of relief over disappointment after having 'too much pressure' thrust on his shoulders over the years.
“I would not be surprised if Novak would feel relieved after his loss vs Sinner. He didn’t realise how heavy that was on his shoulders," said Mouratoglou on Instagram.
"It was the worst match I think I have seen from him. He was definitely not there, on that court, that day. Think about it, he didn’t lose one match at the Australian Open since 2018, he had never lost a Semi-Final there, he won 10 titles there. Can he continue on that trend?
"No, it’s too much, it’s too much pressure. I’ve seen that, even in Champions, when there’s too much pressure, sometimes they need to fail, and, in a way, they feel relieved. Now he’s probably too disappointed, but in a few days…”