"Roger Federer's forehand is not even in the two best of all time in my opinion" - Serena Williams' ex-coach Patrick Mouratoglou
Serena Williams' ex-coach Patrick Mouratoglou believes Roger Federer's forehand is not among the two best forehands of all time.
The 20-time Grand Slam winner's forehand was one of his biggest weapons during an illustrious, trophy-laden career. Over the years, many prominent names from the world of tennis have also shared their opinions about it.
However, Patrick Mouratoglou, Serena Williams' ex-coach, despite admiring Federer's forehand, feels two other players have played the shot better than the Swiss.
"What was standing out the most with Roger's forehand was his ability to take time away from his opponent with that shot and hurt all the time scoring an incredible number of winners, many of them with the second shot after the serve. It might sound weird but Federer's forehand is not even in the two best of all time in my opinion," Mouratoglou said in a video posted on Instagram.
According to the French coach, the forehands of Fernando Gonzalez and Rafael Nadal rank higher.
It's worth noting, though, that many have lauded Federer's forehand over the years.
One of those was Rick Macci, who oversaw the early development of Venus and Serena Williams, Jennifer Capriati, Andy Roddick, and Maria Sharapova.
"The best forehand of all time is close with Rafa (Nadal) but Roger Federer is the leader in the stroking clubhouse because of the incredible element he took the ball so early on the rise gave you a surprise in the blink of an eye," Macci wrote on X (formerly Twitter) in October 2023.
Patrick Mouratoglou's reunion with Holger Rune faces its first test in Mexico
Patrick Mouratoglou was recently roped in again by Holger Rune as the letter's head coach.
The Frenchman orchestrated Rune's charge to the 2022 Paris Masters title. However, a drastic dip in the Dane's form that culminated in a first-round US Open exit saw player and coach part ways.
They have now joined hands once again, with Mouratoglou making the news official via social media.
"I am excited to start a new collaboration with Holger Rune. We have known each other since he was 13 years old and I always believed in his potential," he wrote in an Instagram post.
Mouratoglou's return to Rune's box will be at the Mexican Open, where the 20-year-old is set to face Michael Mmoh in the Round of 32.
The pair's last meeting came in the quarterfinals of this year's Open Sud de France. Rune won that meeting 7-6 (6), 6-4, but had to retire from his semifinal against Borna Coric due to injury.