Mouratoglou thinks Djokovic deserves a better reception.
Coach Patrick Mouratoglou wasn’t thrilled to see Novak Djokovic being booed while entering the court for his French Open last-16 meeting versus Diego Schwartzman. As Djokovic was making his way onto the crowd, some from the crowd decided to boo the 20-time Grand Slam champion.
The boos didn’t have a negative impact on Djokovic as the Serb crushed Schwartzman 6-1 6-3 6-3 to reach the quarterfinal. Mouratoglou serves as an analyst for France Info during the French Open and there he offered his thoughts on the situation.
“It makes no sense to whistle Djokovic. If you don’t like it, you have the right not to come, it’s allowed. But when we come to watch the game, we have to appreciate these exceptional athletes, the spectacle they give us and encourage them.
Patrick Mouratoglou: "It makes no sense to whistle #Djokovic. If you don’t like it, you have the right not to come, it’s allowed. But when we come to watch the game, we have to appreciate these exceptional athletes, the spectacle they give us and encourage them. It’s the minimum" pic.twitter.com/fS6urSB5br
— Mario Boccardi (@marioboc17) May 30, 2022
Mouratoglou apologized to Simona Halep fans
Mouratoglou, who has been working with Halep since April, was hoping to guide the Romanian to her third Grand Slam title this fortnight.
Unfortunately for both Mouratoglou and Halep, that didn’t happen as the Romanian suffered a surprise second round defeat versus Zheng Qinwen. Following back-to-back early exits in Rome and Roland Garros, Mouratoglou took the responsibility, apologized, and promised to do better.
“I’ve always been proud of my successes with my players, but then I also have to acknowledge when I’m not doing a good enough job,” Mouratoglou wrote on Facebook. “The results we’ve had the past month in Madrid, Rome and Roland-Garros are insufficient for someone of Simona’s caliber and I take full responsibility for them.
She is fully dedicated, motivated, gives it everything on every ball. She is a champion – her track record speaks for itself. I expect much better from myself and I want to extend my apologies to her fans who have always been so supportive.”
