Mouratoglou's Blunt Analysis of Novak Djokovic: 'He's Not Motivated Enough for a 25th Grand Slam'

Serena Williams' Former Coach Claims Djokovic Lacks the Hunger for Victory, Hindering His Quest for a 25th Major Title

© WILLIAM WEST / AFP

Jules Hypolite

le 08/02/2026 à 19h06

2 min to read

Djokovic Novak

Nothing can stop Patrick Mouratoglou and his explosive statements on Instagram.

After sparking controversy by claiming that Alcaraz and Sinner are already at the level of the Big 3, the former coach of Serena Williams explained, in his view, why Novak Djokovic is struggling to secure his elusive 25th Grand Slam.

"He is not sufficiently motivated"

"The only obstacle preventing Novak from winning Grand Slams is his motivation. I think he is not motivated enough for the 25th, otherwise, he would have already done it. He was over-motivated for the Olympic gold medal and he got it by beating Alcaraz in the final.

He has done everything, his entire life, to achieve his goals. He wanted to become the greatest of all time. He is, without a doubt. And no one will break that record anytime soon. Every time he arrived at a Grand Slam, he was ready to win. Today, that is no longer the case, so he no longer expects to go all the way."

"Even if he is below, he will rise to the level of his opponent"

"It is neither a question of age, nor a question of tennis. It is a question of physical condition. If he trains and prepares, he can play. Of course, he does not recover as well as before, but he can have easy matches until the quarterfinals or semifinals.

Novak is the strongest mentally in all of history. If he wants something, even if the level is up there and he is below, he will rise to it. He will find a solution. He will win the most important points of the match, then he will win.

Everything is a question of motivation. He knows it better than anyone. He has all the keys, not us."