As Serena Williams Chased History, Her Ex-Coach Reveals How Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova Fueled Her Fire

When it comes to greatness, even legends face moments of doubt, and American icon Serena Williams was no exception! Remember when her longtime coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, recently opened up in a candid clip shared by the Instagram community “Soul Boom,” reflecting on Serena’s mindset during a rare title drought? “I don’t think Serena was loosing confidence in her life, but in tennis, yes, because for someone like her not winning a Grand Slam for two years, its not something that was normal,” he revealed. Yet, what truly kept Serena pushing though? According to Mouratoglou, it was her unwavering motivation, driven by chasing history and setting impossible goals, that fueled her rise to greatness. Wonder what the 54-year-old coach revealed now?

It was a career-defining moment when the American GOAT Serena Williams picked up the phone and called Patrick Mouratoglou, a then lesser-known coach, requesting to use his academy near Paris. That call, born out of deep uncertainty, came after a shocking 1st-round exit at Roland Garros and nearly 2 years without a GS title. Serena was searching for a last spark, just one more trophy, before stepping away from the game. What followed was nothing short of extraordinary!

That decision marked a dramatic turning point. By 2015, the former No. 1 had clinched her 20th major title at the French clay, defeating Lucie Safarova in a gripping final. Incredibly, that made it 7 Grand Slams out of just 12 appearances since partnering with Mouratoglou in 2012. She would go on to win 3 more, including her 23rd and final Slam at the 2017 Australian Open. But what fueled this relentless comeback and dominance after a period without success, though? Her coach and confidant during that time, Patrick Mouratoglou, recently offered insight into the core of her motivation.

Speaking to the Tennis Channel, the 54-year-old added, “It was a lot about motivation. After she won several more we talked about the record of Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova and the goal was to beat this one and of course after Steffi Graf.” He went on to recall a fascinating conversation just before the 2015 US Open. “And it’s funny because I remember I mean one months before the US Open, if she would have won it by the way, tie Stafi at that time she said to me so what’s next because once I do that, what am I gonna do?”

Mouratoglou also revealed that the 43-year-old’s success was deeply tied to her hunger for chasing monumental goals. “So that was always chasing something for her very important. She always something in mind, a big goal in mind that was motivating her because yeah, of course, difficult to imagine how it feels to win so many Grand Slams,” he explained.

And the stats back it up, too! Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, two of the sport’s greatest, had both won 18 GS, a milestone Serena Williams surpassed at the 2015 AO after defeating arch-rival Maria Sharapova. But Serena’s eyes were always set on more!

Her next target was Steffi Graf’s tally of 22 majors, which she equaled with her 2016 Wimbledon title and then surpassed by winning the 2017 AO, while pregnant, against her sister, Venus Williams. That victory placed her just one Slam shy of Margaret Court’s record of 24, a goal she pursued for the next five years, but unfortunately never reached.

And now, as Patrick Mouratoglou reflects on Serena’s legendary mindset, he draws parallels with another modern icon, Novak Djokovic, who is currently grappling with the same inner battle Serena once did, finding fresh motivation after already rewriting history. 

“It’s not about his tennis; it’s just about him being,” Patrick Mouratoglou shares his opinion about what Djokovic lacks today to achieve his 25th

The Serbian icon Novak Djokovic is currently navigating a tough stretch in his 2025 season. After a promising run to the semifinals at the AO, the 37-year-old Serbian has struggled to find his rhythm, falling short in several key tournaments. His strongest showing came at the Miami Open, where he reached the final but was outplayed by the rising Czech talent, Jakub Mensik for the title. Since then, early exits at both the Monte Carlo Masters and the Madrid Open have raised questions about his form on the tour.

However, according to Patrick Mouratoglou, the issue isn’t Djokovic’s skill; it’s his motivation. The renowned coach, who helped Serena rediscover her spark late in her career, sees a similar pattern in Djokovic. 

Speaking at the same interview with Tennis Channel, the 54-year-old added, “We see it with Novak now—that’s his big struggle. It’s not about his tennis; it’s just about him being—it’s very obvious when he plays matches, and probably when he practices. What’s his goal now that he’s beaten Roger and Rafa in Slams? That’s the challenge,”

As Mouratoglou suggests, monumental objectives often fuel legends. Serena found hers, chasing records. Now, the question remains, can Novak Djokovic reignite his fire in pursuit of Slam No. 25? Only time will tell now!