Patrick Mouratoglou Reflects on Coaching Naomi Osaka and Future Plans

Patrick Mouratoglou discussed his legendary coaching career as part of Motorola's 'Icon Behind the Icons' campaign.

Patrick Mouratoglou for Motorola's 'Icon Behind the Icons' campaign. | Motorola

For more than two decades, Patrick Mouratoglou has been one of the most important coaches in tennis. Known for working with Grand Slam champions and kids alike, Mouratoglou has shaped multiple generations of players.

Mouratoglou's stately presence is unmissable at tournaments. Top players seek out his guidance, and television networks scramble to book him for commentary. But his main job is player development at his world-renowned tennis academies, which he often shares on his massive social media platforms.

Today, Motorola launched a new campaign, Icons Behind the Icons, spotlighting visionaries shaping culture from behind the scenes. The first chapter features the legendary tennis coach, known for training champions like Serena Williams, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Coco Gauff, and Naomi Osaka.

Patrick Mouratoglou headlines the first chapter of Motorola's 'Icon Behind the Icons' campaign. | Motorola

In his content, Mouratoglou offers a rare look at his preparation for Grand Slams and how the AI-powered razr ultra helps him stay connected, analyze performance, and support elite athletes at the highest level.

As part of the campaign, Mouratoglou spoke with Sports Illustrated's Serve On SI about how the Motorola razr ultra is making his jobs easier, his latest coaching stint with Osaka, and what his future holds.

As one of the best coaches and content creators in the tennis world, how does the razr ultra make your jobs more enjoyable?

Well, I'm doing a lot of different things. First, foremost, I'm a tennis coach, and I think that's what defines me the best, but I also do a lot of content for social media. I've always been excited to share my passion for tennis with the maximum number of people. I did a lot of TV in the past, but I decided to switch to social media because I think there is a better connection with people, more direct.

Also, I have several businesses. Some of them you know, like the tennis academy in the South of France, but also all the tennis centers around the world, and I have a lot of other businesses in sports. So I have multiple activities, and it's very important to be able to rely on a tool that helps me, helps me be organized, helps me remember things.

But in today's world, to be able to use tools like the razr to just remember everything, and things that the paper and a pen were not allowing you to do. I think it's an incredible tool. And of course, the Moto AI, which is super powerful.

Patrick Mouratoglou for Motorola's 'Icon Behind the Icons' campaign. | Motorola

How did it feel to be selected for the first chapter of the Icons Behind the Icons campaign?

I'm really honored to be selected to be in that campaign. I think it's great because we're in a world where everybody focuses on the people who run the show, like the athletes, the musicians, all the people who are in front.

But people don't always realize that other people are behind those and helping them express their talent and be great at what they're doing, and that's the whole topic about this campaign, and I think it's extremely exciting.

I'm a big advocate for people who are behind the scenes because I think without them, you don't have athletes performing at the highest level, and it's true not only for sports, but for everything.

So to select people who are doing that job well and put some light on them and explain what they're doing and how they're using the razr to help them in their day-to-day performance. I think it's an unbelievable campaign.

Patrick Mouratoglou uses the Motorola razr ultra to improve his work. | Motorola

Switching gears to your other profession, do you plan on returning to coaching soon or focusing more on media?

I never had a plan because I think that it depends on opportunities. Of course, I want to coach. It's my passion. I don't see myself not coaching. Even when I don't have a player that I focus on 100%, I always coach.

I'm at my tennis academy, I live there, so every day I'm on the courts working with younger players. I have this foundation that selects some of the best young players in the world and help them. Coco Gauff, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Holger Rune, all those guys come from my foundation.

But of course, if tomorrow there is a project that is extremely interesting for me to go back on tour with someone, I will do it. I just don't have to. So I want to take the time to have the right prospect to do it.

I think it's very important, and at that stage in my career, I want to work with players who can win Grand Slams. There are not so many. So you have to be patient and wait until the opportunity arises, and that's what I'm doing.

The Motorola razr ultra helps Patrick Mouratoglou with coaching and content creation. | Motorola

How do you grade your time as Naomi Osaka's coach?

So if I'm honest, and I am always honest, I was not happy with the results, and I take the responsibility fully. There were good things and not too good things. The good thing is, we did solve a few things. When I started, she was injured all the time.

In the first six months, she had three major injuries, which made us lose a lot of time. This has been solved. I don't think she's gonna get injured anytime soon. I think her body's much stronger now, so that's so positive.

I think she improved her game a lot, which is also a positive, and in practice, the level she's able to play was really, really high. Now the only thing, which is in a way, the most important thing, is to perform during matches, and in that matter, I'm not happy with the way I could have helped her better.

So, of course, I thought a lot about it. I was thinking about it during, but I even kept on thinking about it afterwards. I think I probably missed a few things that could have made her more efficient during the matches.

That's what I said to her and to her agent when we came to an end is that she's really ready. This needs to be solved, and if it's solved, because she's a great company competitor, it's so that she has to learn to compete well. She has already a huge career with four grand slams, being number one.

So there was just something that was probably preventing her from competing well at that time. I think she's doing much better. She reached the final in Montreal, and I think she's going to keep on doing well now because she's more ready to compete well now, so I'm happy for her. I was really happy when she reached the final.

Patrick Mouratoglou is a fan of Moto AI technology. | Motorola

Who is one player on tour (ATP or WTA) that you wish you could coach?

I don't want to name someone. First of all, I've never been that kind of coach. I never went to a player saying, 'Oh, I think you play great. I would love to coach you.' I never did this. I don't want to feel like I'm promoting. I don't want to beg anyone. I want the players to want to work with me. That's, I think, very important that it comes from them.

So if I start naming people, they might see it as I'm trying to get to them, so I don't want to name anyone. But as I said, at that stage in my career, I want to work with players who have the ability to win Grand Slams in the next year. There are not many of them. There are really, really, a few of them, as I said, a patient, when the opportunity will come, I will take it.

Last question: If you were the tennis czar, what changes would you make?

Well, let's start with what I wouldn't change. I wouldn't change anything in Grand Slams. Except for one thing, probably I would have women play five sets like the men. Because I think they can, and I don't see any reason why they wouldn't also play five sets. But otherwise, I wouldn't touch Grand Slams.

Now, the tour, I would do exactly what I do with my tour with UTS, which I think is the future of tennis, to have shorter formats, more immersive, much more dynamic, if we want to convince the next generation, people under 40 years old.

All of the statistics show the average age is 61. We have to propose to them a format that fits the criteria of what the next generation, the new generation, is consuming. I think tennis is the most exciting sport in the world, of course. But again, the world has changed. What people consume has changed, so tennis needs to adapt to that.

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