Exclusive: Patrick Mouratoglou expects Serena Williams' retirement to stick without a shock comeback
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Updated 03/01/2023 at 10:50 GMT
Serena Williams' retirement may have been a little unconventional, but former coach Patrick Mouratoglou says it will have no impact on the overall legacy of the tennis legend. Mouratoglou, who helped guide Serena's career for a decade, is uniquely placed to analyse the icon's mindset in retirement. He has told Eurosport that he thinks her wide-ranging interests will prevent any comeback.
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Long-term coach Patrick Mouratoglou expects Serena Williams’ retirement from top-level tennis to stick, and says the legend will be remembered for her glory and not the nature of her final moments in the sport.
Mouratoglou began coaching Serena in 2012, after her shock first-round defeat in the French Open that year. That had been something of a career nadir for the younger Williams sister, but with Mouratoglou's help she added seven further Grand Slam singles titles and an Olympic gold to her already impressive record.
That 10-year association gives Mouratoglou a rare insight into the tennis legend and her mindset in retirement.
Serena left the door open to further Grand Slam appearances in her public statements on what was perceived to be a retirement announcement in August. Her reluctance to rule out a return to the sport in the future has led to rampant speculation that her legendary career may not yet be at an end.
Despite their association coming to an end, Mouratoglou says he would be happy to see her continue her career.
“Do I want to see her play? I want to see her play again," he told Eurosport's Arnold Montgault. "Yes, yes, if she enjoys herself on the court. For that, she has to feel strong. If she doesn't feel strong, she won't enjoy herself.
"I want to see her play good tennis. If she can play good tennis, of course, I want to see her play. Everyone wants to see her play!”
In her announcement that she was moving away from tennis, Serena made it clear that she will move into other areas, including working in the field of venture capital.
Mouratoglou hinted at these extra-curricular interests as being likely barriers to her returning.
He said: “I think to be exceptional at something, and God knows she's been exceptional, you have to be a little bit obsessive about it. You have to be 100% focused on the activity, otherwise even for tennis geniuses, it's complicated.”
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With Williams departing the scene in the same year as men's tennis icon Roger Federer, there could be a concern for the future of the sport. Mouratoglou doesn't share that concern.
Mouratoglou does not believe that the difficult final years of Williams' career will impact her legacy.
He said: "I think if she's happy at the end of her career, that's all that matters because nobody will remember the end of her career.
"You remember it now because it's fresh, but everyone will remember what a champion she was, all the Grand Slams she won, the things she brought to tennis and how she made history. The end of her career is an anecdote."
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