“Everybody wanted to go dancing… Serena Williams never celebrated” – Ex-coach reveals truth behind American’s mindset that made a ‘champion’

Serena Williams with Patrick Mouratoglou at the French Open – ImageSe

Serena Williams’ ex-coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, cited an example of the American’s 2013 French Open title win and explained how her mentality reflected her hunger to win. She won a total of 23 Grand Slam singles titles in her glorious career, among which three came from the Paris Slam in 2002, 2013, and 2015.

Mouratoglou coached Williams from 2012 to 2022 and she won 10 Major singles titles during their partnership. In an Instagram video, the tennis coach highlighted an important example from his tenure with Williams, which made him realize her champion mentality. Talking about her 2013 French Open win, he said:

“In the evening, everybody wanted to go dancing, and when we arrived in front of the night club, she looked at me and she said, ‘Let’s go back home’, she never celebrated. She was already thinking about Wimbledon.”

Mouratoglou elaborated on the conversation he had with the former World No. 1 after her win, which reflected her immense mental strength. He added:

“There is a trophy ceremony, and when she gets out of the court, she comes to me and she says, ‘OK, let’s do the cool down’. So we go in the fitness room, and after five minutes, she looks at me and she says, ‘Now we have to win Wimbledon’. This is the mindset of the champion. As soon as they achieve something, they immediately think about a new goal, another one.”

Serena Williams also won 23 career titles in doubles, including 16 Majors. She retired from tennis in 2022.

Patrick Mouratoglou on telling a white lie to Serena Williams to help her

Patrick Mouratoglou and Serena Williams at Wimbledon 2019 – Image Source: Getty

Patrick Mouratoglou admitted to telling a white lie to Serena Williams, which played a key role in shaping her and her win at Wimbledon. During his appearance on the Tennis Insider Club, the Frenchman elaborated on how that one lie helped her get over her doubt in approaching the net and gain control of her volleys.

“She was missing volleys & afraid to move forward. I told her, ‘You win 80% of points at the net’. It wasn’t true, but she believed it. From then on, she did win 80% at the net… and won Wimbledon,” he said.

Serena Williams began her partnership with Mouratoglou by winning the 2012 Wimbledon title. She won a total of seven titles at the Championships, boasting a 98-14 win-loss ratio at the tournament.