Tennis is fake. We have real characters, but they don't dare to be themselves, and the code of conduct has a lot to do with that.
Patrick Mouratoglou
My job is called adaptation. It's always about adapting to new situations, but the core team is going to be the same.
My reality was that I would become a tennis player. I never had any doubt about it. It was my life.
Who are the governing bodies to say what is a good and a bad behaviour? I think that's unacceptable, even from an ethical point of view. I don't think anyone on this planet should be able to point at people and say this. For example, if it's not dangerous for other people, you should be allowed to break a racket. It's my racket, it's my problem.
My brother is a musician and I'm in tennis.
When you watch the top guys, you know there will be no drama all match. They're gonna wipe their face between points, they're gonna ask for balls, they're gonna choose the ball, they're gonna bounce the ball 200 times, they're gonna hit the ball, and that's it. That's the whole story.
You can have the nicest academy in the world, it doesn't make any difference, it's all about the people. Our job is all about the people.
I couldn't connect with people so I developed other senses. I had no other option.
American and French culture are really, really different, but in a way it's funny.
People are watching sports to feel emotions. They watch movies for the same purpose.
I think coaches sometimes think it's always their way.
You kill the emotion by standardising the behaviours on court. I want authenticity. I want people to be free.
It's time to realise that tradition is fantastic but if because of tradition and only tradition you lose everyone it's less fantastic so you have to keep some tradition to this sport of course but you also have to live in your century.
A very good leader is someone who has a great team, it's all about the team. You only have 12 hours or 14 hours a day, if the people that are with you are doing a great job, you can have a great business. If not, it's not going to work.
I don't think any player will miss a grand slam if they can play.
A game is a game. I don't think we will change... should have shorter sets. No, do simple things to let people enter through a door that makes them be excited. If you let all the players express themselves, show who they are.
But my team is great. I think the spirit we have and the quality of the people make it what it is.
If you look at the figures, the average age of the tennis fan is 62 years old.
If we don't know who is who because everyone is behaving the same then it's boring. We don't think it's boring because we love tennis. But bring someone who doesn't love tennis and they will think it's incredibly boring.
I think I had a lot of impact on every player. Maybe it sounds cocky, but if I don't feel I have an impact or a big impact, I wouldn't be able to be excited about my work every day.
The whole idea is to propose an immersive experience. When you watch tennis, you watch from the outside, you're far from the court, the camera is far away and the whole story is about two persons hitting a tennis ball and trying to win.
I think that the ATP and the WTA are doing a good job because they're satisfying their fans, and I am one of their fans.
Every time the ATP or WTA speak about changing something, you see the reaction. So I think they're doing a good job because those people are still watching tennis 40 years later and they are still fans so I'm not sure they should change because I don't know how the fans would feel.
But I think there is a space for a second league, which is UTS, that is more modern, and is targeting a difference audience.
What we know is that probably the face of tennis post Covid-19 will not be the same anymore. The economic crisis probably is going to strike us really hard. All the business in general, but also the tennis business.
The reason why people watch sport is to feel something. They want to feel emotions. So if the players don't give emotions, it's more difficult to get into it.
I think tennis needs to be reinvented. I think there is a space for two different tours. This exists in many other sports.
Life is bigger than tennis.
After a certain point I know my players so well, I can anticipate their reactions.
Winning a Grand Slam was something I was chasing the first day I became a coach.
Young kids do not see tennis as a 'fun' sport.
The way we score is complicated. The rules are strict. The goal on the court is to show nothing, and then when you show something you are a bad person. Getting angry is not allowed. The show that you see on TV is not exciting, like the NFL or NBA, because you are seeing robots.
If David Goffin wants to remain calm and quiet, fine. But perhaps he would enjoy to have a little more freedom to show another side of his personality.
We must have options to make tennis more attractive emotions-wise.
So I don't see any stress from players or coaches with coaching during the matches, to be honest.
Some sports give a lot of emotions because you know the people well, not personally but they express their passion and their emotion on the field so you have an attraction. In tennis, because of this code of conduct that is extremely strict, players do not show their personality.
Tennis is failing to renew its fanbase. And that's very worrying, because the future doesn't look bright.
I want authenticity, I don't want players to make a show. I want players to be able to be themselves on court and express all kinds of emotions.
I think we have great personalities in tennis, but I think they don't dare anymore expressing their emotions and expressing who they are. It's all about being politically correct all the time.
The game of tennis is incredible. The show of tennis, I think, is very old fashioned.
I think a tennis match is a marathon. You have to sit down and have food for the next three hours, if not more. And to ask a 15 or 20 or even 25 or 30-year-old to do that, this is not gonna happen.
When you meet people who are exceptional, you know it. I feel it straight away.
My goal is to help make tennis transition to what's coming next and to be able to continue to grow rather than falling down, because no new fans come to our sport.
The only thing I want is tennis to be the biggest sport on the planet.
I find a way to have stress because I need it.
