Famous tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou once again questioned the ignite the GOAT debate. There has been a lot of debate about which player is the greatest player of all time, with achievements coming from different eras.
Famous tennis coach Mouratoglou was asked by a user on the social media platform why the former world number one Serena Williams has not talked openly about the greatest of Margaret Court, who won 24 Grand Slam titles.
“Steffi Graf was considered the GOAT with 22 Slams ... until Serena Williams got 23,” the user wrote. “All of a sudden, Margaret Court with her mix of Open Era and pre-Open Era titles (became) the best-ever. I am very curious why (Williams) and perhaps (Mouratoglou) didn't talk about this openly?” she added, tagging their accounts. “…Court's 24 Slams simply do not count.”
In response to that, Mouratoglou stated that it would be unfair to compare the success of former players who played in different eras. “I said it a million times. With all due respect, the record of Margaret Court was established at a time when tennis was not even a professional sport,” said Mouratoglou. “Winning (a Grand Slam) at that time can never be considered as winning (a Grand Slam) in the Open era.”
The 82-year-old remains one of the greatest players in the history of tennis, both men’s and women’s. She is only one of the two players who won 24 Grand Slam titles in professional tennis. However, only nine of those came in the Open era which is why her greatness will always going to be questioned. The only player to achieve this milestone in the Open era is Serbia’s legendary star Novak Djokovic. The 37-year-old achieved this feat when he lifted the US Open 2023 after beating Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 7-6, 6-3. Court’s final title.
I said it a million times. With all due respect, the record of Margaret Court was establish at a time when tennis was not even a professional sport. Winning GS at that time can never be considered as winning GS in the open era. https://t.co/5VKJMYduXT
— Patrick Mouratoglou (@pmouratoglou) January 23, 2025