Mouratoglou looks back on stint working with Serena Williams: "I taught Serena Williams to think like Serena again, She had forgotten that"

Patrick Mouratoglou worked with Serena Williams for a long time and it was a very successful stint with the French coach remembering their time working together

Mouratoglou helped Williams win several grand slams and it was a partnership that worked out well for both. Mouratoglou is still a prominent coach working on the tennis Tours while Williams is out of tennis after one of the greatest tennis careers of all time. It wasn't always great. The 2016 US Open defeat to Roberta Vinci was tough to swallow:

"I taught Serena Williams to think like Serena again. She had forgotten that. So, she loses the US Open semifinal against Roberta Vinci and it had a huge impact on her. Even though it is one defeat after four Grand Slams won in a row, and she was in the semifinal of the fifth."

Mouratoglou particularly helped Williams in finding the right mentality because her losses continued to plague her in later finals. The talent for making a deep run was there but she needed a clear head in order to win Williams which she didn't have at the time:

"Then, she is in the Roland Garros final, playing extremely badly and the previous losses are still having an impact. She can make it to the final as she has the tennis and physical qualities, but to win a final requires a specific headspace. Serena didn't have it."

He also remembers the 2016 Roland Garros final and what he told her:

"Then, she is in the Roland Garros final, playing extremely badly and the previous losses are still having an impact. She can make it to the final as she has the tennis and physical qualities, but to win a final requires a specific headspace. Serena didn't have it."

She didn't win that final but won two more grand slams after that.