Patrick Mouratoglou has voiced his disagreement with Roger Federer over the ongoing debate about court speeds. Recently, the 20-time Major winner suggested that faster surfaces would make things more interesting and reduce the dominance of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
The famous coach believes the opposite, insisting that slowing things down years ago has made the game far more entertaining, enjoyable and balanced.
According to the French coach, today's rallies are what captivate audiences, with extended exchanges showcasing athleticism, precision and endurance.
As Mouratoglou pointed out, the majority of courts were already slowed down during the golden era of Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Thus, he emphasized that the trend is far from new.
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Patrick also argued that extremely fast conditions would limit variety and reduce excitement. In his view, players with massive serves such as Reilly Opelka, Alexander Zverev or Ben Sheltonwould become nearly unbreakable, which would lead to less predictable and enjoyable encounters.
While open to the idea that tennis could evolve through other innovations, Mouratoglou believes that the essence of modern tennis lies in its more extended exchanges and tactical richness.
For him, the current balance between offense and defense is what keeps fans engaged, with the sport evolving in the right direction.
Sinner and Alcaraz have been the dominant force of men's tennis in the previous two years. The Italian and the Spaniard have claimed eight straight Major titles in different conditions, court speeds, balls andbounces.
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"Roger said he would like to see Carlos and Jannik play on faster courts. I disagree, as it would make the game less exciting. It's the long rallies that make tennis so entertaining today!
We have not really had the opportunity to see Federer, Nadal and Djokovic on fast courts either. It's not new. If we had kept the very fast surfaces, the game would be completely different, and I think it would be really boring.
How do you return Opelka's serve, or Zverev's or Shelton's? The game would become very boring. So personally, I do not regret this change. There might have been other options, like shortening the service box or slowing down the balls, I do not know.
It's a decision that was made, and now we have to live with it," Patrick Mouratoglou said.
