Serena Williams' ex-coach Patrick Mouratoglou reveals "weird" nature of their first meeting that led to Grand Slam-winning collaboration

Serena Williams' former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, reminisced about his first meeting with the WTA legend. The renowned mentor termed their initial interaction as "weird," mentioning how Williams' hunt for a place to practice in Paris ended up building a mutually fruitful partnership.

Williams started working with coach Mouratoglou in June 2012. This came after her first-ever first-round Grand Slam loss at the French Open. Before this, she was primarily coached by her parents, Richard Williams and Oracene Price. Their partnership lasted for a decade, during which Williams secured 10 Grand Slam singles titles. She also achieved a 31-match winning streak and became the oldest World No. 1 in WTA history at age 35.

After almost three years of Serena Williams' retirement from tennis, Patrick Mouratoglou went down memory lane to unveil their first-ever meeting with her. He mentioned how Williams had no intentions of adding a member to his coaching team. However, their chemistry together built one of the most successful tennis partnerships in history.

"The way she found me was quite weird, because she was not looking for a coach—she was looking for a place to practice in Paris after her loss in the first round. She knew me just a little bit; she knew I had an academy in Paris. She called me just to get a court and two hitting partners, which I arranged," he told Tennis Channel.

The Frenchman further explained how the next 45 minutes determined their fate, as Serena Williams expressed an urge to seek guidance on her techniques.

After 45 minutes of hitting, she suddenly turned to me—I was outside the court—and said, "Talk to me." Wow. I didn't expect it, so I talked to her. I told her the things that I was seeing, and then she said, "Can we work on it?" he added.

Patrick Mouratoglou was a crucial part of ATP star Grigor Dimitrov's team back then. The Frenchman was later compelled to consult the Bulgarian for a confirmation, to which he agreed. This resulted in the formation of a partnership that lasted for more than a decade.

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Serena Williams makes honest admission about nurturing mental health with frequent therapies

Serena Williams at the Business Leaders Speak At FII Institute's Annual FII Priority Conference - Source: Getty

WTA legend Serena Williams opened up about a routine that she followed to take care of her mental health. The 23-time Grand Slam champion mentioned how she relied on therapies, frequently making time from her busy schedule. In her admission, during a conversation with Allure, she prioritized therapy over journaling.

"Delete journaling, because I just don't have time. I'm buying therapy because I stay in therapy, like all the time. I will save meditation," the 43-year-old said.

Serena Williams has always been vocal about mental health, making surprise admissions among his massive line of social media followers. The WTA legend also went through a gruelling phase of postpartum depression back in 2017, after she welcomed her daughter Olympia with husband Alexis Ohanian.