Patrick Mouratoglou Cites Novak Djokovic’s Dedication While Explaining If Carlos Alcaraz Can ‘Party’ and ‘Still Be World-Class Player’

Carlos Alcaraz is gearing up for the French Open which he won last year for the first time by beating Alexander Zverev.

Patrick Mouratoglou Cites Novak Djokovic’s Dedication While Explaining If Carlos Alcaraz Can ‘Party’ and ‘Still Be World-Class Player’

Novak Djokovic, Patrick Mouratoglou, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via Wikipedia X/The Tennis Letter, #AusOpen)

Carlos Alcaraz, in his Netflix documentary, Carlos Alcaraz: My Way, talked in length about his need for free time to enjoy things outside of tennis. This part of the documentary received significant attention as some started to question Alcaraz’s work ethic.

Alcaraz partied in Ibiza for three days after his defeat to 24-time Grand Slam champion and eventual winner Novak Djokovic in the 2023 French Open. This he did by defying coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, who rather wanted the youngster to prepare for the grass swing (Alcaraz later won both the Queens’ Club Championships and Wimbledon by beating Djokovic).

Serena Williams’ former coach Patrick Mouratoglou, who previously questioned whether it was right for Ferrero to openly talk about Alcaraz’s work ethic, has made his feelings known about the 22-year-old’s desire to disconnect and “still be a world-class tennis player“. While citing Djokovic’s dedication to tennis, the Frenchman said that in principle, this cannot happen. But in reality, it will depend on his “priorities, your timing, and your mindset“. He wrote on LinkedIn:

No late nights. No hangovers on court. Why? Because your body is your tool. And you protect what matters most. I’ve even heard from Novak Djokovic’s former coaches that he was so obsessed with his body that he would be very careful about how to lay down at the beach, so nothing could compromise performance. That’s the mindset of a champion.

Djokovic is in Geneva to get some match practice at the ATP 250 tournament before the French Open, which starts on May 25th. He defeated Marton Fucsovics in the second round, registering his first clay-court win of the season as before Geneva, he skipped the Italian Open (for the first time since 2007) and lost his first-round matches in Monte Carlo and Madrid.

Rafael Nadal says Carlos Alcaraz’s Netflix documentary didn’t show the truth

Rafael Nadal thinks Carlos Alcaraz‘s new Netflix documentary was “misguided“. According to Nadal, Alcaraz is an athlete who works hard consistently to play display high-level of tennis. He told L’equipe:

Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz
Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)
Knowing Carlos a little, I think the documentary doesn't reflect his personality or the way he lives his career. He doesn't come across as a tennis player who trains, but as someone who loves to party, who needs that, and who isn't very professional - and that's not true.

The French Open will pay tribute to Nadal on Sunday as the 14-time Roland Garros champion retired last year at the Davis Cup. Last year, he refused to have a retirement ceremony during the French Open as he still wasn’t sure about his retirement during that time.

Alcaraz, on the other hand, is preparing to defend his title at the French Open. He will be entering the tournament to clinch his third clay-court title as before Paris, he won the Monte Carlo Masters and the recently concluded Italian Open by upsetting home favorite Jannik Sinner, snapping his 26-match winning streak.

The four-time Grand Slam champion could set up a blockbuster showdown with the three-time Grand Slam champion and they will be the second and first seed, respectively, in the tournament. Alcaraz reached the second place in the rankings table after his Italian Open win by removing Alexander Zverev from the spot as Sascha failed to defend his title.

Alcaraz is the winner of three titles this season (the most in the ATP Tour) as before Rome and Monte Carlo, he also won his career’s first indoor hard-court trophy at the Rotterdam Open. The French Open last year was one of the four titles he lifted, one of which was also his second Wimbledon trophy.

Also read: Rafael Nadal’s Ex-Coach Carlos Moya Responds to Rumors That He Has Agreed to Coach Jannik Sinner from 2026