"If she would have been in this position physically, the results would have been better" - Patrick Mouratoglou states weight loss would have benefited Serena Williams on court

Patrick Mouratoglou coached Serena Williams from 2012-2022 when she retired. It turned out to be a fruitful relationship, winning 10 of the Americans' 23 Grand Slams together, as he helped her come out of a difficult period.

The Frenchman took over as her coach after she lost in the first round of the 2012 Roland Garros, citing struggles on the court with no Grand Slam in almost two years. The tables turned after this, as she won four out of the following six Grand Slams, reinstating her dominance in the WTA.

In an interview with The Guardian, he revealed the chemistry the pair had and how much they trusted each other. "Big trust on both sides – like, really, full trust. We were feeding each other in terms of motivation. I [knew] her perfectly, how to push her, motivate her, provoke her to be more competitive," he said.

It was not all good, with Mouratoglou stating that the pair had some disagreements about her weight after the pregnancy in 2017. This has led to Williams losing weight through a medical route after she retired, citing the Frenchman's persistence on it a factor.

On this debacle, he said: "Oh I remember it very well. It was after the pregnancy. I know these things take time. I told her: 'Listen, this is not a comment on how you look. It’s not my problem.' But tennis is a sport in which you can’t afford to be overweight. First of all, the pressure on your joints and everything is so big that your chances become much higher. The second thing is it’s a sport in which you change directions all the time and with a lot of speed. Even one kilo overweight is a lot. When you go full speed in one direction with one kilo extra and then need to stop and come back, the time that you lose is really important. Just look at the best players in the world – Alcaraz, Sinner, Djokovic. Think about their movement. The weight was affecting her movement.

"In Serena’s case, she was older – so of course the body is not going to bounce back the same as before, and the risk of injury is even bigger. We had a few fights about it. I remember she did not like when I said that because she thought I was judging her. But I kept telling her, I don’t care about your look. It’s not my job. My job is your tennis. If you want to come back to the top and make history, then we have to be very efficient on every level – including this one, which for me was the key element.

"I’m not the type of guy who’s looking back and having regrets. But, yeah, if she would have been in this position physically, the results would have been better."

The pair linked up in September 2024, but their relationship would not last very long, ending in July of this year due to poor results. Since then, Naomi Osaka has found her best form again, making it to the Canadian Open final whilst going on an incredible run at Flushing Meadows, only being one set away from a fifth major final and a first since 2021.

In the wake of this, Mouratoglou admitted he 'did not do a good enough job', as he said: "The results weren’t good enough, which completely made sense. I think we did a lot of good things but, at least from a coaching standpoint, the one thing that you don’t master can ruin the whole thing. I think she improved so much, I was seeing it on a daily basis. And her mindset was great. But she was not performing well enough during the matches, so that was the one piece that was ruining the whole thing.

"Looking back, I didn’t do a good enough job, otherwise the results would have been there. I also think that having me as a coach was a bit heavy for her, in regards to what I did with Serena for many years. She mentioned it a few times actually, even publicly – and I didn’t find a way to take that pressure away. I think maybe that’s why she wasn’t performing. As soon as I was not in the loop, she felt probably lighter. By not having that pressure, she could express her tennis more freely. But there are no hard feelings. She’s a great competitor."

He went on to praise the four-time Grand Slam winner for re-finding her form, labelling her as one of the most iconc players. "I think she’s back to playing at an extremely high level and the performance she showed in these last two tournaments are quite clear. So that’s great news. I’m not surprised at all because I know how much effort she put in. When we split, I told her agent she was 100% ready – which I felt because her practice level was consistent and extremely high. She needed these breakthroughs, which she had quite fast, to probably realize that she was able to play with the best and beat them. For women’s tennis to have Naomi back in the mix is amazing. She’s one of the most iconic players of the last five years."

The duo are a step ahead of everyone on the ATP Tour, having between them won the previous eight Grand Slams and meeting three previous times in the final of a major. Mouratoglou stated they are 'on a different planet' but also disclosed how he would coach someone to compete and be better than them, citing belief in themselves as a big factor, using a young Coco Gauff as an example.

"So, yes, for the moment Alcaraz and Sinner are on a different planet for sure," he said. "But your question makes a lot of sense because the guy who’s going to be in the mix with these two, if there is one, is the only guy who’s going to believe it’s possible."

"Actually, when I interview young players, that’s what I’m trying to figure out. When you listen to them, they all say: 'I want to be No 1 in the world.' But my first question is always: What’s your plan? I need to know: How much do you believe? I remember when I did my interview with Coco Gauff when she first came to my academy at age 10, and leaving my office thinking her drive and self-belief was unbelievable for someone so young. And you see where she is now."