Coach Patrick Mouratoglou Lays Out US Open Plans for Serena Williams After Wimbledon Championships 2021

Serena Williams and injuries have gone hand in hand in recent times. Despite the American coming into Wimbledon seeded #6, she retired in her first-round match against unseeded Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

With the grass-court season set to end this week, her coach Patrick Mouratoglou laid down Williams’ plans for the future.

Mouratoglou hopes Serena Williams can compete in tournaments before the US Open

While the former World No. 1 led Sasnovich 3-1 in the first set, she injured her hamstring. Although she returned to compete, Williams couldn’t go any longer after Sasnovich tied the set 3-3, forcing her to retire.

Last month, Williams revealed she wouldn’t take part in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. This gives her ample time to recover from her injury to prepare for the hard court season, with the next Grand Slam being the US Open. With her home Grand Slam commencing from August 30, Williams will look to clinch her seventh singles title in Flushing Meadows.

While the American recovers, Mouratoglou spoke exclusively to Tennis Majors. When asked about Williams’ plans before the US Open, the Frenchman admitted it depends on her medical results. He said,?“It depends a lot on the medical results so it?s hard to say. I was supposed to fly to the United States at the beginning of August for the preparation.”

However, he hopes the seven-time Wimbledon champion can participate in the Cincinnati Open before heading to the US Open. He said, “We would have played one or two WTA tournaments. I hope we can do one, reasonably, probably Cincinnati. But the plan, once again, is connected to how long she can?t play.”

READ MORE: All Injuries Serena Williams Suffered During her Career so Far

Mouratoglou rates Williams’ chances of winning the US Open the same as Wimbledon

The 51-year-old believed Williams had a genuine chance of clinching her eighth singles title at Wimbledon this year. While her injury stopped her title challenge, he believes she has the same chances of winning later this year at Flushing Meadows.

He said,?“Serena won as many Australian Opens on hard as Wimbledon on grass (seven)… Grass highlights Serena?s qualities, that?s true, but nobody says that it?s difficult to move on grass. I consider her chances at the US Open as equal to her chances at Wimbledon.”

Can the experienced American clinch a record-extending 24th career Grand Slam in two months’ time at New York? Only time will tell.

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