'No Point In Being On The Court': Djokovic's Attitude Slammed By Osaka's Coach
NewsFriday, 16 May 2025 at 19:17
Naomi Osaka's coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, has questioned Novak Djokovic's attitude during his defeats at the 2025 Monte-Carlo Masters and 2025 Madrid Open.
Djokovic initially planned to appear in all three clay-court ATP Masters 1000 tournaments for the first time in 2022. That was in keeping with his stated goal at the start of 2025 of playing at more events than in the last few years.
However, the tennis legend's plans altered after a dreadful start to the clay-court swing. He did not win a match in Monte-Carlo or Madrid, falling to Alejandro Tabilo and Matteo Arnaldi after underwhelming performances.
Mouratoglou was shocked by Djokovic's demeanor in those contests. On his LinkedIn page, the Frenchman argued that the 24-time Grand Slam champion should not play if he is not motivated.
PI was very surprised watching Novak compete in Monte Carlo and Madrid. Not by the level, we all know what he’s capable of. But by the attitude. He just didn’t look like he wanted to win. He didn’t even look like he cared to win."
"Of course, he can play much better, he’s Novak Djokovic, but he didn’t look physically ready or mentally engaged. And for a player like him, if the motivation isn’t there, there’s really no point in being on the court. I’ve been saying this for a long time now: motivation is everything for Novak."
After changing his previous plan to compete at the 2025 Italian Open, Djokovic signed up for the 2025 Geneva Open. Mouratoglou thinks that it is a smart move because he needs some match practice before Roland Garros.
"He doesn’t need to play a full clay season. But some matches, yes, with the right mindset and clear intention to win. Because nothing replaces match play. You don’t just show up at a Grand Slam and expect everything to fall into place magically."
"His decision to play Geneva now makes sense. He wants to feel that winning rhythm again, even just a little, before stepping into Paris. The big question is: will it be enough?"
The decision not to appear at the 2025 Italian Open might have been linked to his poor results and performances in Monte-Carlo and Madrid, but it could also have been influenced by discussions behind the scenes about Andy Murray's future.
On Tuesday, Djokovic and Murray announced they had ended their coaching partnership. The Briton was initially expected to work with his former on-court rival until at least the end of the French Open and probably Wimbledon.
Neither man gave an official reason for the split. It could have been a breakdown in their dynamic behind the scenes, or Murray might not have been able to commit as much time as Djokovic wanted.
If recent reports are correct, Djokovic is working with Serbian Davis Cup captain Viktor Troicki in the short term. The two have been friends for many years, and Troicki was in Djokovic's box during his Olympic gold medal run last year.
Working with someone he knows well after Murray's departure and recent poor results would probably be a sensible move from Djokovic.
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