"I still think Novak Djokovic is going to win 2-3 Slams this year": Serena Williams' ex-coach analyzes Serb's Australian Open SF loss to Jannik Sinner

Serena Williams' former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, recently analyzed Novak Djokovic's loss to Jannik Sinner in the semifinals of the 2024 Australian Open. Despite the defeat, Mouratoglou believes that the Serb will win two to three Grand Slams this year.

Djokovic suffered a crushing defeat in the semi-finals of the Melbourne Slam, losing 6-1, 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-3 to the eventual champion, Sinner. The loss prevented the World No. 1 from securing his 11th Australian Open title and put an end to his 33-match winning streak at Melbourne Park.

Following Novak Djokovic's defeat, Patrick Mouratoglou took to social media and opined that the semifinal match was one of the Serb's "worst" performances ever. Mouratoglou also claimed that the 24-time Grand Slam champion might have experienced a sense of relief following the loss, as the burden of expectation weighed heavily on his shoulders.

“I would not be surprised if Novak would feel relieved after that tournament. He didn’t realize how heavy that was on his shoulders," Mouratoglou said. "So that was very shocking to see Novak in the semifinals of a Grand Slam being so unable to play. And Djokovic played the match that is one of the worst I think I've seen from him. He wasn't there. He was definitely not on that court on that day."

The Frenchman asserted that Jannik Sinner's win over the World No. 1 was a result of his belief in his ability to prevail. He emphasized that Sinner's confidence stemmed from his recent victories against Djokovic; one at the ATP Finals and the other at the Davis Cup.

"I think one of the keys is the end of last season, the fact that Sinner beat him two times, and the last time was the most painful because we know how Davis Cup is important for Novak. That is probably the number one explanation for Sinner being able to play such a good match and Djokovic being unable to play that match," he said.

Patrick Mouratoglou also expressed his belief that Novak Djokovic would win two to three Majors this year.

"Now he’s probably too disappointed, but in a few days, 'wow, they were so heavy. I come back to normal pressure, the pressure I'm used to, which is the pressure of being number one and the greatest player of all time.' But this is why I feel too much for him. I still think that Novak is going to win two to three Grand Slams this year," Mouratoglou concluded.

Novak Djokovic on his Australian Open SF loss to Jannik Sinner: "Shocked with my level, in a bad way"

Australian Open 2024

Following his loss against Jannik Sinner at the 2024 Australian Open semifinal, Novak Djokovic expressed dissatisfaction with his performance, calling it one of the "worst" Grand Slam matches he has ever played.

The Serb admitted that he was far from content with his level of play during the match but acknowledged that Sinner outperformed him in every aspect.

“I was, in a way, shocked with my level, in a bad way,” he said in his post-match press conference. “There was not much I was doing right in the first two sets. I guess this is one of the worst Grand Slam matches I've ever played. At least that I remember. Not a very pleasant feeling playing this way. But at the same time, credit to him for doing everything better than me, in every aspect of the game.”

“I didn't feel really myself on the court during this tournament. One can say semi-finals is a great result, but I always expect the highest of myself, and it wasn't meant to be today,” he added.