Patrick Mouratoglou Cites Novak Djokovic to Urge Serena Williams to Make Retirement U-Turn: “Can She Compete with the Best?”

Like many from the tennis world, Serena Williams‘ former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, also wants her to reverse her retirement decision. Williams called time on her career at the 2022 US Open following her third-round defeat.

But earlier this month, Williams’ name appeared in the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s (ITIA) International Registered Testing Pool (IRTP). This led to speculation that she was planning to make a comeback. As per IRTP, any player who has retired or left the testing pool must be available for at least six months of testing before competing in an official event.

Williams took to X to dismiss the comeback rumors, but in another post, she wrote, “feeling strongly about claiming my mojo back.” Amidst all these, Mouratoglou, who coached the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion from 2012 to 2022, made his feelings known on the comeback rumors and also cited Novak Djokovic, who recently expressed his wish to see Williams return to the WTA Tour.

I would love to see 2026 as a comeback for Serena. Why not? We’ve all seen the footage of Serena, ripped. She’s ready physically. She’s worked hard. She looks so fit, so ready. She loves tennis. Novak said he would love to see her back. She posted a video of herself playing tennis. So why not?

Patrick Mouratoglou wrote on Instagram

But Moutaglou questioned whether, at 44, Williams would be able to challenge the current best players. At the moment, Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and Coco Gauff are dominating on the tour.

I would love to see if she can compete at the age she has without playing one single tournament for three years, giving birth for the second time. Can she compete with the best? Because she’s Serena. She’s the best of all time. What is her level? I would love to see that. And I know I’m not the only one.

Patrick Mouratoglou added

Williams now runs multiple businesses. She and her sister, Venus Williams, also started the podcast called Stockton Street this year.

Nadia Petrova said Novak Djokovic could drop out of the top 10 next year

Former WTA player Nadia Petrova thinks Novak Djokovic could drop out of the top 10 next year. She said his age is making it difficult for him to give his best, and each year he is losing chances to add another Major to his trophy cabinet.

That’s a very interesting question. It could even be Novak Djokovic himself. After all, if you look at age, all the players in the top 10 are around 23. Sascha Zverev and Taylor Fritz are 28, and Novak is 38. This year, of course, Novak managed to win two tournaments, but he didn’t reach the finals of any Grand Slam tournaments. And each time, it’s getting more and more difficult for him physically. I can’t even imagine who else it could have been.

Nadia Petrova said during her interview with Championat

This year, Nole made the semifinals of every Major. He finished the season with two ATP 250 titles at the Geneva Open and the Hellenic Championship by defeating Hubert Hurkacz and Lorenzo Musetti. The 24-time also made the final of the Miami Open, where Jakub Mensik defeated him.

At the Australian Open next year, Djokovic will also be chasing his 11th title in the tournament. He failed to progress to the final in the previous two seasons. This year, an injury forced him to give the walkover to Alexander Zverev. The last time he won the Melbourne Slam was in 2023 by defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas. His last Grand Slam title was the 2023 US Open, which he won by beating Daniil Medvedev.

Also read: Donald Trump’s Ally Believes Aryna Sabalenka ‘Exposed’ Trans Activists in Battle of the Sexes Defeat

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Join our newsletter to receive exclusive updates and curated insights directly to your inbox.

Subscribe NOW