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Serena Williams’ ex-coach Reveals The Mindset of Novak Djokovic During his Wimbledon Semifinal Against Jannik Sinner

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Fahad Hamid | Last updated Jul 18, 2025 7:29 PM ET

Patrick Mouratoglou has shared his perspective on Novak Djokovic‘s approach going into the Wimbledon semifinal against Jannik Sinner. The former coach of Serena Williams believes that the Serb wasn’t in the victory mode like he is known for.

Sinner won comfortably in straight sets 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 to reach his first Wimbledon final. He went on to win his first Wimbledon title by defeating Carlos Alcaraz in four sets. Mouratoglou said on the sidelines of UTS:

I felt like he was more in demonstration mode than in victory mode. He just wanted to tell himself that he could still compete with these players by saying to himself: ‘I want to enjoy the moment, I want the public to love me, I want to have a great press conference afterwards.’ I’m exaggerating, but that’s what I felt throughout the match.

Djokovic has reached the semifinals of all three Grand Slams so far this year. However, he has been left empty handed in the major tournaments this year. In two of those Grand Slam semifinals, he has lost to Sinner. The third one came at the Australian Open, where he retired after losing the first set against Alexander Zverev.

Novak Djokovic set to break a long-standing record

Former World No.1 Novak Djokovic could have retired after winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, completing one of the final goals of his career. Many believed his window for Olympic success had closed after the setback in Tokyo 2021. However, the Serbian stunned the world by finally achieving the long-awaited gold, a moment that will be remembered in Olympic history.

Despite this milestone, Djokovic has expressed interest in competing at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. In the meantime, his focus has shifted to winning a 25th Grand Slam title. Doing so would not only break the all-time record but also make him the oldest player to win a major, surpassing Ken Rosewall’s long-standing mark.

The 38-year-old has faced challenges in reaching this goal. Rising stars like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have consistently outperformed him, pushing Djokovic into a less dominant role. While he claimed his 100th career title in Geneva before Roland Garros, his overall season has lacked consistency.

In Grand Slam events this year, Djokovic has shown flashes of his former brilliance. He reached the semifinals in Melbourne, Paris, and Wimbledon but failed to progress further. Wimbledon was seen as his best opportunity, but he fell short against world number one Sinner in a one-sided match.

Novak Djokovic makes huge decision before US Open

Serbian star Novak Djokovic, currently tied with Margaret Court at 24 Grand Slam titles, is aiming for a record-breaking win at the 2025 US Open. His last major victory came at this tournament two years ago. Despite a rough start to the season, he claimed his 100th career title at the Geneva Open, giving him a boost ahead of New York.

The 38-year-old Serbian has struggled in recent majors, falling in the semi-finals of both Roland Garros and Wimbledon to Jannik Sinner. He currently holds a 26-9 win-loss record in 2025. While he is set to compete in the mixed doubles event with Olga Danilovic, his main goal remains a fifth singles title at the US Open.

The event runs from August 24 to September 7, and Djokovic has made headlines with a wardrobe change. He plans to wear an all-black outfit at this year’s tournament, moving away from the blue tops he’s worn in recent years. Many see this as a symbolic effort to shift his momentum.

Djokovic’s 2024 US Open run ended early after a loss to Australia’s Alexei Popyrin in the third round. Still, he has a strong history on the New York hard courts. While Sinner continues to be a major hurdle, Carlos Alcaraz has not had much success at the US Open in recent years, which may open up a clearer path for Djokovic.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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