Patrick Mouratoglou Details How Serena Williams is Acing Return Game at Australian Open 2021

Serena Williams’ coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, has shared a video clip of the American nailing her returns in practice and in the matches that she has played so far at the ongoing Australian Open.

Mouratoglou, nicknamed ‘The Coach’, has tagged his Instagram post with a message on how her returns have been “something else” this Australian summer.

“Something else”: Patrick Mouratoglou on Williams’ returns at Australian Open

The clip shows the 23-time Grand Slam winner skillfully moving into position to unleash her blazing returns.

Demonstrating unbelievable athleticism and footwork for a 39-year-old, Serena is seen gliding into trigger points from where she lets fly those rasping returns off her handle.

The clip comes as an affirmation of how the American, under the able guidance and watchful eyes of ‘The Coach’, prepares for matches, perfecting every little detail in her game – the footwork, the body movement, point of impact on the ball, and the eventual shot-making.

What also stands out from the clip is how she exudes the exuberance and fitness of a 20-year-old at a stage of her career when many of her contemporaries have either lost a gallop or two or have settled into retirement.

Serena Williams still on top of her power game at 39

To cite a case in point, two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, though relatively young at 31, clearly struggled to find her groove in her opening-round upset at the hands of American, Jessica Pegula.

Serena looked at the top of her game right from the get-go as she powered her way past Laura Siegemund of Germany and Nina Stojanovic of Serbia to book a third-round berth at Melbourne Park.

A feature of her performance, especially in her second-round tie on Wednesday, was how she held herself strong even in moments when her opponent looked to force her into errors.

While absorbing pressure from Stojanovic, especially on serve, Serena showed characteristic flair and brute power to pummel her way into the last 32.

She later acknowledged that she was pushed hard by her opponent, but trusted her game and set of skills to come through in the end.

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