“Carlos Alcaraz? I have a particular weakness for Holger Rune…”

A key figure in French and international tennis, Patrick Mouratoglou gives his take on current events: King Djokovic, the arrival of the new generation, his secret crush and the Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia. After visiting its tennis academy at the Costa Navarino site in Greece, Le 10 Sport serves the first ball. Interview.

In the heart of the little paradise that is Costa Navarino, you will find dream facilities for learning, practicing or training in tennis. Why did you choose Greece as the location for this new center?
Firstly, because I have Greek blood flowing in my veins, from my father’s side. Then, because the Costa Navarino site, located in the southwest of the Peloponnese, is breathtaking, both in terms of location and service. When I visited it, I immediately knew that it would provide an ideal setting for my center. They have created a magnificent tennis infrastructure for us that allows us to offer all hotel guests a high-quality tennis experience.

How did you think about and design this new Mouratoglou Tennis Center?
Mouratoglou Tennis Centers are aimed at guests who like to stay in luxury hotels and destinations like Costa Navarino and who want to live a unique tennis experience. Tourists of all levels can develop their physical, technical and tactical skills there thanks to a choice of private and group lessons, or even tennis courses. Tennis is not necessarily at the heart of their vacation, unlike the Mouratoglou Academy trainees who choose the Côte d’Azur mainly for that. However, it offers them the opportunity to enhance their dream vacation with a tennis experience. I am convinced that many tennis enthusiasts want to progress, whatever their age or level. This is what we offer them.

The lessons offered in this center are given by former professional players or former tennis hopefuls. Why this choice ?
Above all, these are coaches that I have trained in my coaching methodology. The objective is to adapt to each player to help them progress quickly, focusing on their strengths and putting them in the best conditions to achieve their goals. Each session is tailor-made, with the ambition of offering the same quality of coaching as that provided at the Mouratoglou Academy located on the Côte d’Azur. Indeed, some of the teachers are former players or former hopefuls, and the majority are alumni of the Academy. They therefore master my methodology perfectly, having benefited from it in the past.

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“Novak Djokovic is still on top of the world”

After the retirement of Federer and the gradual retirement of Nadal who increasingly fades in the face of injuries, a new order begins to take shape in the men’s circuit. In your opinion, is the most beautiful era of world tennis coming to an end? Or can emerging talents take over and write such beautiful pages as the trio Roger, Rafa, Nolé?
We have undoubtedly experienced an exceptional era with these three unique champions, but the one that is coming delights me. Novak is still on top of the world, but he is challenged by a youth full of enthusiasm and talent with Carlos Alcaraz in pole position. And many others are looking to make their way like Jannik Sinner, Holger Rune, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev and most recently Ben Shelton. They have more divisive personalities for some, which brings a breath of fresh air.

Faced with the “new kids” like Alcaraz, Ruud, Rune, Auger-Aliassime…, who does your heart swing most towards? And why ?
I naturally have a particular weakness for Holger Rune, who has been at my Academy since he was a child and whom I have coached for the last 8 months. I find Carlos Alcaraz impressive in many ways and exceptionally precocious. I am convinced that Félix Auger-Aliassime still has a lot to show, and I am seduced by the freshness of Ben Shelton.

Do you think that Caroline Garcia has what it takes to become world No. 1, sustainably, in the years to come?
For the moment, Caroline has always played season games. She has her ups and downs, and that prevents her from claiming a world No. 1 spot. She undoubtedly has immense qualities, but she must find stability in her team and clarity in her project to achieve more regular results.