Op-Ed: Patrick Mouratoglou On The Importance Of Timing

The importance of timing

Life is very much about timing. We are in constant evolution, and each decision we take is influential. The same can be said of relationships. The timing has to be right. People have to be mentally ready to commit at the same time in their lives. In my job as a coach, timing is also essential. I have to be totally in touch with my player’s timing. I know in advance what Serena has to do in order to progress, and how to get the message through to her. Players are not always ready for change. It takes patience and trust.

As a coach, I have to find the right time to convey the message. If I am too forceful, the message won’t be received, or worse, it will damage the relationship between the player and me. In a player’s career, there are a few key moments when he or she is faced with several options but needs to take the right decision. Doing so will take his or her career to the next level. It is all about knowing when and where to move. It is all about timing.

The calendar governs Serena’s year. My job is to have her physically, mentally, and emotionally ready and at the top of her tennis for the most important tournaments of the year because that is the only way to reach our goals. The competitions, the training periods, and the rest periods are organized so that Serena is at the top of her game when she needs to be.

Lessons From 2015

I believe that what Serena has accomplished so far is already historical. She has won 21 Grand Slam titles during a period of 17 years. That means that she has come across many different generations of players and has always found the way to dominate, to be the best. Tennis is changing. In the past 20 years, the game has become so much more professional. Serena has always found a way to progress and evolve with it.

At 33, she is the oldest N# 1 in tennis history, and has found the way to win four consecutive Grand Slam titles, while most of her former rivals are retired. But Serena is still chasing records. I think that it is very important that she wins 23 Grand Slam titles in order to beat Steffi Graf’s record (22). That would be the best way to end any debate over the world’s best female tennis player.

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