When Novak Djokovic is at his best, he is the best player in the world, even on clay: Patrick Mouratoglou
Patrick Mouratoglou has lavished praise on Novak Djokovic, saying the Serb is the best player in the world across all surfaces when he's at his best. Interestingly, the Frenchman stressed that even on clay, where most tennis fans and pundits think Rafael Nadal is the undisputed king, the World No. 1 is unbeatable when he is on a roll.
Speaking in a video he uploaded to his official Instagram handle, Mouratoglou remarked that the Serb should be the favorite to win the French Open if he can put together a good run of results between now and then.
Although the coach admitted that Nadal's 13 titles at the tournament gave him the perception that he was the one to beat, he maintained that Djokovic's past results against the Spaniard gave him a slight edge.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion has beaten the Mallorcan eight times on clay while losing on 19 occasions. While it might not look like much, it is the highest number of matches Nadal has lost on his favorite surface to a single player.
"Roland Garros is the most open it has been in the last 10-15 years. If Novak Djokovic is able to win a lot between the start of the clay season and Roland Garros, then it won't be that open. Because Novak, when he is at his best, even on clay, I think he is the best player in the world," Mouratoglou said. "I know it's weird to say that when you see the number of Roland Garros that Rafa has won, but if you look at the figures, Novak beats Rafa many times on clay."
#1 Novak Djokovic beats 13-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal in an epic semifinal, handing Nadal only his THIRD loss at Roland Garros in 108 matches.
3-6, 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-2.
...and that was only the semifinal.
Djokovic faces #5 Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday for the title.
If it comes to a point where the two have to go up against each other in the latter stages of Roland Garros this year, Patrick Mouratoglou is certain that their most recent encounter will be on both players' minds. In the 2021 edition, the 34-year-old stunned Nadal in four sets in the semifinals, becoming the first player to beat the World No. 4 twice in the event's history.
"If they have to play each other in the last stages of Roland Garros this year, last year's match will count in their minds 100%," Mouratoglou said. "Rafa is going to be tense and Novak [Djokovic] will be much more aggressive because he will be more confident going against Rafa."
"Is Novak Djokovic going to win everything until Rafa comes back from his injury? That would be a game changer" - Patrick Mouratoglou
During the video, Patrick Mouratoglou also expressed slight concern for Novak Djokovic's form following his prolonged break from the game. The World No. 1 has played only three matches in 2022 so far, missing out on the Australian Open as well as the Sunshine Double due to vaccine mandates.
But with most countries now relaxing their entry restrictions, the Serb is confirmed to play the upcoming Monte-Carlo Masters, Serbia Open and Madrid Masters. His participation in the Rome Masters should also be confirmed soon, making for an ideal lead-up to his title defense at Roland Garros.
From 9th to 17th April!
@DjokerNole
@atptour https://t.co/mIWU8GRnpn
To add to that, rival Rafael Nadal is slated to be out of action this month due to a rib stress fracture. Mouratoglou, on his part, feels the Serb could capitalize on Nadal's absence and regain his confidence by getting wins under his belt.
"Is Novak Djokovic going to win everything until Rafa comes back from his injury? That would be a game changer because then you would have Novak with full, full confidence back," Mouratoglou said. "But it's not going to be that easy because when you don't play matches, like he did last month, where the little he played, he lost early."
From the brink of defeat, @DjokerNole denied an inspired Tsitsipas to score his second @rolandgarros victory and win our No. 5 match of 2021: tennis.com/news/articles/… https://t.co/BDeWEgzjjU
The 51-year-old reckons that in addition to Nadal and Djokovic, teenage sensation Carlos Alcaraz and last year's runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas could prove to be contenders at the French Open. However, Mouratoglou remained adamant that how the World No. 1 fares in the coming weeks is still the deciding factor for who ends up winning in Paris on June 5.
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"What's going to happen in the coming weeks with Novak will give us a taste of his chances and Rafa in Roland Garros," Mouratoglou said. "There might be a joker, maybe Alcaraz, Stefans, maybe someone else. We'll see."