TenniStory: Patrick Mouratoglou's life—and impact on Serena, Tsitsipas

The ascendance of Stefanos Tsitsipas and the persistence of Serena Williams can at least partially be attributed to the guidance of Patrick Mouratoglou. The Frenchman wasn't allowed to play in the pros, so he's dedicated his professional life to helping others succeed.

"My parents told me no, it's much too risky to play tennis," says Mouratoglou in his TenniStory, which you can watch above (run time 5:02). "I was lost, and I was angry."

With that edict, Mouratoglou, a talented junior player, completed his studies and was set to work in his father's business. That's when he decided that it was time to strike it out on his own.

From humble beginnings, Mouratoglou's tennis academy has grown into one of the world's preeminent teaching centers, with a network of coaches dedicated to developing the games of its talented junior crop. One of the most famous examples, which we're seeing play out in real time, is Tsitsipas. In January, the 20-year-old Greek announced himself to the tennis world with a run to Australian Open quarterfinals, which included a breakthrough victory over Roger Federer. On clay this season, he won a title in Estoril, finished runner-up in Madrid—beating Rafael Nadal along the way—and reached the semifinals in Rome. On Saturday, he completed a two-day, four-set win over Filip Krajinovic to reach the fourth round of the French Open:

Mouratoglou didn't work with Tsitsipas from the beginning of the Greek's tennis journey, but the impact of his coaching philosophy on the 20-year-old is unmistakable.

"I started working with them three years ago," Tsitsipas said of the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy last July, "and since the time I started working with them, we have been doing a very, very good job. I was surrounded by very good people that care about me, people that want the best for me. It's very important to have a very good solid team around me that supports me 100 percent."

Mouratoglou and Tsitsipas at the 2019 Australian Open, the 20-year-old's breakthrough tournament.

Mouratoglou's commitment to the craft is shared by his players, most notably Serena Williams, who has won 10 of her 23 Grand Slam titles with the now-48-year-old in her corner.

"When you start this job, you have an idea of what a champion is in terms of mindset, and she just comes from that 100 percent," said Mouratoglou in January at the Australian Open. "But she doesn't think like the other players.

"I have worked with thousands of players, from young players to pros to juniors to top juniors to top pros, and there is only one Serena in terms of mindset."

Mouratoglou and Williams at the 2019 Australian Open, their first tournament since the 2018 US Open final.

With Serena, Mouratoglou has found himself in the spotlight for reasons both glorious and infamous—the latter during last year's US Open final, when he, and by extension Williams, was tagged with a coaching violation warning. Combined with other penalties, that warning—and the match—spiraled out of control.

"I hope that every time a coach gets a code violation for coaching he doesn't get fired, otherwise there will be guys fired every two days, a problem," Mouratoglou said in Melbourne, when asked if his relationship with Williams had changed because of the final. "I hope that our seven years' relationship is a bit stronger than a chair umpire."

Mouratoglou and Williams are fine; the French resident and the Paris-lover are aiming to win their 11th Grand Slam title together—and Serena's 24th overall—at Roland Garros.

Things haven't always been straightforward for Mouratoglou, but he's always managed to land on his feet—and, like his players, usually far ahead of where they started.