‘She Was Depressed’ – When Coach Patrick Mouratoglou Revealed Serena Williams’ ‘Strong Reaction’ After Missing Out on Incredible Milestone

Serena Williams is one of the greatest players of all time. She has records that will stand unrivaled for decades. The 23 times Grand Slam champion is arguably the best player in the Open Era. She is no less than the big three of ATP. However, there are some things that will always bother the younger Williams sister.

Though her achievements are far beyond many active players’ reach, Williams once longed for a milestone that she failed to touch. She was just a few steps away from succeeding when her dreams shattered. The effect of which ruined her mental well-being.

Patrick Mouratoglou about Serena Williams’ misery

In a 2015 interview, Williams’ former coach Patrick Mouratoglou disclosed how missing a once in a lifetime chance of claiming a Calendar Grand Slam left her incredibly depressed. He said, “She was depressed.”

“The reaction was quite strong. She was really, really affected, which I think is normal when you are Serena.” The French tennis coach added, “She does everything with 100 percent of her heart, so you are more disappointed when you don’t reach your goal.”

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“Plus, she has a level of expectation that is much higher than anyone,” he said. The former World no.1 claimed all three Grand Slam titles in the year 2015 before jumping into her home Grand Slam. However, in the US Open, fate played its cards and the three-time defending champion unexpectedly fell prey to Roberta Vinci’s first and last Grand Slam finals run. The Italian in the semifinals uprooted Williams and her dream of becoming the fourth WTA player to mark a Calender Grand Slam under her name. 

Williams’ other unaccomplished milestone

The seven-time Wimbledon champion was just two wins ways from claiming the record of 100 victories in the grass courts of London. Though at first a gruesome hamstring injury in the very first round of last year’s event diminished her chances, the year-long gap caused by the injury derailed her performance in this season’s tournament. 

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Williams, thus, failed to have a chance to share the honor with veteran Martina Navratilova and Swiss Maestro Roger Federer. However, on the brighter side, just like Navratilova’s biggest rival Chris Evert, she has conquered her opponents 100 times on the hard courts of the US Open.