Patrick Mouratoglou, Serena Williams’ former coach, claims Novak Djokovic is grappling with the same motivational challenges that once tested the 23-time Grand Slam champion.

© Zhe Ji/Getty ImagesNovak Djokovic of Serbia reacts in the Men’s singles 2nd Round match against Alex Michelsen of the United States during the Shanghai Masters.

Novak Djokovic finds himself in a challenging phase this season. After a promising start that saw him reach the semifinals at the Australian Open, the 37-year-old Serbian has struggled to maintain his peak form, delivering underwhelming results in recent tournaments. According to Patrick Mouratoglou, the former coach of Serena Williams, Djokovic’s struggles go beyond his game and stem from motivational hurdles similar to those Williams faced during her illustrious career.

Djokovic’s best showing this year came at the Miami Open, where he reached the final but lost to rising star Jakub Mensik. Since then, he suffered early exits at the Monte Carlo Masters and the Madrid Open. Mouratoglou believes the issue lies not in Djokovic’s tennis but in his goals and motivation—a sentiment he says mirrors Williams’ late-career challenges.

Speaking on Tennis Channel, Mouratoglou recalled a conversation with Serena ahead of the 2015 US Open when she was on the brink of tying Steffi Graf’s record for Grand Slam titles.

“It’s funny because I remember—two months or one month before the US Open, when she would tie Steffi Graf at that time—she said to me, ‘Okay, so what’s next? Because once I do that, what am I going to do?’” Mouratoglou shared. “She was always chasing something. For her, it was very important; she always had a big goal in mind that motivated her. I guess the motivation at some point is tough when you’ve achieved so much“.

Serena Williams of United States speaks with coach Patrick Mouratoglou during practice ahead of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park. (Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

Drawing parallels between the two legends, Mouratoglou explained that Djokovic’s struggles also stem from a lack of clear objectives after surpassing his two great rivals, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, in Grand Slam victories.

“We see it with Novak now—that’s his big struggle. It’s not about his tennis; it’s just about him being—it’s very obvious when he plays matches, and probably when he practices. What’s his goal now that he’s beaten Roger and Rafa in Slams? That’s the challenge,” Mouratoglou stated.

Djokovic withdraws from Rome Open

In a surprising move, Djokovic announced his withdrawal from the Rome Open, marking the first time he will miss the Italian Masters since debuting in the tournament in 2007. This ends an 18-year streak of consecutive appearances in Rome.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion now heads into Roland Garros without a single clay-court victory this season. His only two outings on clay ended in first-round losses to Alejandro Tabilo at Monte Carlo and Matteo Arnaldi at the Madrid Open.

Djokovic remains focused on Roland Garros

Despite the setbacks, Djokovic reiterated his commitment to Grand Slam success following his Madrid Open defeat. However, he acknowledged uncertainty about his readiness for Roland Garros.

“Obviously Grand Slams, I was saying many times, are the most important tournaments for me. Which doesn’t mean that I don’t want to win here, of course I wanted to, but Grand Slams are where I really want to play the best tennis,” Djokovic noted. “I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do that in Roland Garros, but I’ll do my best”.