"If we want to help Djokovic motivate himself, we need to find him records to surpass"

Andrés Tomás Rico - 17 Oct 2026 | 09:53
ATP Novak Djokovic Patrick Mouratoglou

Mouratoglou asserts that the Serbian "needs something big" to achieve his best level and cites the example of Beijing, in addition to stating that physical condition is not his main problem.

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"If we want to help Djokovic get motivated, we need to find records for him to break." Photo: Getty Images

Novak Djokovic surprised everyone again with his success in Beijing. While in his first two matches he seemed like the same Djokovic from recent months struggling with physical problems, suffering on the court and far from his best level, he rediscovered his tennis to defeat Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev and Alex de Miñaur, securing his seventh title at the ATP 500 in Beijing and extending his winning streak to 34.

In China, he showcased his best level of the season and silenced the critics of many experts who predicted an early retirement. He also managed to change the opinion of Patrick Mouratoglou, coach and constant commentator on world tennis.

Mouratoglou details the reason behind Djokovic's change in Beijing

“At the US Open, I said something that surprised a lot of people: Novak's problem is not physical. It’s crazy and linked to his lack of preparation. Many of his fans attacked me for it. Then he won in Beijing. So, have I changed my opinion? No. Look at his first two rounds there. The same story as before: he feels bad, calls the doctor, he seems to be dying on the court, he is not playing well and losing sets. He could have lost in the first round. Really. He could have lost in the second round. But he found a way. I don’t know how, but he found a way,” the Frenchman stated in one of his posts on LinkedIn.

Mouratoglou opened the door to the idea that Djokovic’s change in China might be more psychological than physical: “Then, as always, the more fights he wins, the less the stress of losing to ‘those guys’ goes away. Against Zverev, he had nothing to lose. He was loose. He played at his true level. And that level remains incredible. His tennis and physical condition are fundamental. It’s not just tennis. It’s not just fitness. It’s mental. I know it sounds crazy. A guy with 24 Grand Slams, nervous against the world number 16 in a first round? It makes no sense. To me, it makes perfect sense.”

And he continued with his explanation: “He cares. He cares a lot. Think about going to an exam for which you don’t feel prepared. It’s the same here. So my diagnosis hasn’t changed. But Beijing showed something new. Something that can bring back a certain Novak: chasing records. In Beijing, he had one within reach: 34 consecutive wins at the same tournament. 34-0. He went for it and achieved it. That’s Novak. He needs something big. A while ago, a Masters 1000 was enough. Then the Grand Slams came. After winning so many of both, he needs something extra.

To conclude, he identified the ‘solution’ to see the best Djokovic again: “At 39 years old, that extra can only come with records. And the good news is that every month now brings new records within reach. If we want to help Novak motivate himself, we need to find him records to break. Playing the ATP Finals at 39 years old? If nobody has ever done it, he will show up. I'm sure of it. If the record turns out to be 40, he will wait until next year,” concluded a Patrick Mouratoglou who still believes Novak Djokovic can remain competitive.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, "Si queremos ayudar a Djokovic a motivarse, tenemos que encontrarle récords que superar"