Patrick Mouratoglou is backing Novak Djokovic to qualify for the ATP Finals, while doubling down on his claims that the Serbian’s biggest issue is not his physical struggles.
Djokovic appears to be finally succumbing to Father Time in 2026, with the 39-year-old looking increasingly hampered by health problems and ailments.
The 24-time major winner appeared to wilt in his first-round loss at the US Open, and after battling through in his first two matches at the China Open, Djokovic made a revealing admission.
He said, “I don’t want to go into details because then it’s going to sound like I’m whining about something or looking for excuses. Truth is that this year has been a big, big struggle for me with a few particular issues that I’ve been having.
“I’ve been just trying to find different ways to be at least giving myself a decent condition physically and health-wise to be on the court and compete with the player across the net. If the player beats me, if he’s better, great.
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“Most of the matches and tournaments this year that I’ve played have been a real, real struggle for me physically. That’s nothing to do with stamina. People mix it up. It’s not stamina. It’s something else. More related to health.”
Remarkably, Djokovic pushed through the pain, multiple medical timeouts, and a star-studded field of Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, and Alex De Minaur to be the last man standing in Beijing.
Djokovic has shown he can beat the best in 2026, most notably when the Serb heroically ousted Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open, before losing a close final to Carlos Alcaraz.
Despite that, Serena Williams’ former coach Mouratoglou insists that the veteran’s biggest problem this year is mental and not physical. He cited a “lack of preparation” for his troubles, with Djokovic playing just 21 matches across nine tournaments this year.
He wrote on LinkedIn, “I put Novak Djokovic in the top 8 at the end of the season. That might surprise you, especially coming from me. At the US Open, I said something that shocked a lot of people: Novak’s problem isn’t physical. It’s mental, and linked to his lack of preparation. A lot of his fans came after me for it.
“Then he won Beijing. So, did I change my mind? No. Look at his first two rounds there. Same story as before: ‘I feel sick’, he calls the doctor, he looks like he’s dying on court, he’s not playing well, and he drops sets. He could have lost in the first round. Really. He could have lost in the second round.
“But he found a way. I don’t know how, but he found a way. Then, as always, the more matches he wins, the more the stress of losing to ‘those guys’ goes away.
“Against Zverev, he had nothing to lose. He was loose. He played his real level. And that level is still amazing. His tennis and his fitness are huge. It’s not tennis. It’s not fitness. It’s mental. I know it sounds crazy. A guy with 24 Grand Slams, nervous in a first round? It makes no sense.
“For me, it makes complete sense. He cares. He cares so much. Think of going into an exam you don’t feel ready for… Same here. So my diagnosis hasn’t changed.”
Djokovic currently sits 11th in the ATP Tour rankings and is in the same spot in the Race. With Jannik Sinner ruling himself out of the rest of the year, Djokovic and co have a chance to claim that last ATP Finals position.
When a player has won virtually everything in tennis, motivation can be hard to come by. For Mouratoglou, breaking more records is one way to light a fire in his belly.
He added, “But Beijing showed something new. Something that can bring a certain Novak back: Chasing records. In Beijing, he had one within reach: 34 straight wins at the same tournament. 34-0. He went for it, and he got it.
“That’s who Novak is. He needs something big. A long time ago, a Masters 1000 was enough. Then it was the Grand Slams. After winning so many of both, he needs something extra. At 39, that extra can only come from records.
“And the good news is that every month now brings new records within his reach. If we want to help Novak get motivated, we have to find him records to beat. Playing the ATP Finals at 39? If nobody has ever done it, he’ll show up. I’m sure of it. If the record turns out to be at 40, he’ll wait until next year.”
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