Patrick Mouratoglou thinks Andy Murray might be able to “problem” Novak Djokovic in a means that it helps the Serb discover a new supply of motivation however Naomi Osaka’s coach additionally highlights that he believes beating Jannik Sinner will probably be a serious problem for the 37-year-old going ahead.
When the document 10-time Australian Open champion received dominated by the Italian on this 12 months’s semifinal at Melbourne Park, some questioned if that signaled the change of the guard in males’s tennis. Then, the 23-year-old went on to win the Australian Open and US Open, whereas the Spanard made all of it the best way on the French Open and Wimbledon.
Sinner and Alcaraz’s domination left Djokovic with out a Grand Slam title in a single season since 2017. And heading into the 2025 season, he’s not anymore thought of the person to beat in Slams. However he additionally has a brand new face in his field and evidently desires to attempt to do some issues otherwise subsequent 12 months.
“Is Andy the proper particular person to encourage him? I might say sure and no. I might say no as a result of I don’t assume he has that persona, he’s very quiet, however he’s very good, and I believe he’ll have good concepts on the best way to problem Novak in order that he finds a brand new type of motivation,” Mouratoglou stated on Tennis Majors’ Eye of the Coach.
Mouratoglou explains why Sinner could also be harder to beat for Djokovic than Alcaraz
After beating the Serb twice in late 2023, the present world No. 1 additionally received their Australian Open and Shanghai Masters ultimate conferences. Additionally, the Italian earned a straight-set win over the world No. 7 on the Six Kings Slam – a star-studded exhibition the place gamers went with full depth as a result of a historic prize cash was at stake.
In the case of his clashes in opposition to Alcaraz in 2024, Djokovic suffered a straight-set defeat within the Wimbledon ultimate but in addition managed to beat the Spaniard in a really tight two-set Paris Olympics ultimate.
Heading into 2025, Mouratoglou would not assume beating these will get any simpler. Nevertheless, he additionally believes that the 23-year-old Italian is a harder matchup.
“The problem is large as a result of the extent of Alcaraz and Sinner is spectacular. It may be more durable for Novak to beat Jannik than Carlos, as a result of Jannik doesn’t give something away. Sinner has the identical expertise as Novak, he covers the court docket very properly, he doesn’t miss something and he takes the ball sooner than Novak. So Novak should get again into unimaginable form to dominate Jannik. I’m not saying it’s simple to beat Carlos, it’s not,” the French coach defined.
Djokovic admitted at one level that he wasn’t at Sinner and Alcaraz’s ranges
Between 2019 and 2022, the 37-year-old received three consecutive Wimbledon titles – The Championships did not happen in 2020 due to the pandemic. In 2023, he got here a win away from finishing a four-peat however then misplaced to Alcaraz in a five-set ultimate. This 12 months, Djokovic once more fell simply in need of successful Wimbledon after the third-ranked Spaniard crushed him 6-2 6-2 7-6 (4) within the ultimate.
Chatting with reporters post-final, the document 24-time Slam winner admitted that Sinner and the 21-year-old Spaniard had been higher than him in the intervening time.
“With the ability to attain the ultimate of Wimbledon provides an incredible confidence enhance. However I additionally really feel like in a matchup in the present day in opposition to the most effective participant on the earth proper now for certain, apart from Jannik, each of them are the most effective this 12 months by far… I really feel like I’m not at that degree. As a way to actually have an opportunity to beat these guys within the Grand Slam latter levels or Olympics, I’m gonna must play significantly better than I did in the present day and really feel significantly better than I did in the present day. It’s not one thing I haven’t skilled earlier than in my life.. within the face of adversity, usually I rise, be taught, & get stronger. That’s what I’m going to do,” Djokovic stated after the Wimbledon ultimate.
Novak Djokovic says he’s not at Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner’s degree this 12 months, ‘To have an opportunity to beat these guys in latter levels of Grand Slams or Olympics, I’m gonna must play significantly better than I did in the present day’
“With the ability to attain the ultimate of Wimbledon provides an incredible… pic.twitter.com/WobWRCaVrT
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 14, 2024
Just a few weeks later, the Serb bounced by by beating Alcaraz within the Olympic ultimate however he additionally misplaced to Sinner in Shanghai in October.
For Djokovic, determining a greater option to compete in opposition to the Italian and the Spaniard will in all probability be the important thing to success in 2025.
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