{"id":46502,"date":"2025-05-07T02:40:21","date_gmt":"2025-05-07T02:40:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=46502"},"modified":"2025-05-07T02:40:21","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T02:40:21","slug":"naomi-osakas-coach-blasts-novak-djokovics-monte-carlo-madrid-display","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=46502","title":{"rendered":"Naomi Osaka’s coach blasts Novak Djokovic’s Monte Carlo & Madrid display"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u00a9 Olly Tennis\/X – Fair Use<\/i><\/p>\n
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Naomi Osaka’s coach Patrick Mouratoglou has some issues with Novak Djokovic’s decision to play the Madrid Masters simply because he thought that the Serb looked “unmotivated” during a shocking opening loss.<\/p>\n

After stunningly losing to Jakub Mensik in the Miami Masters final and failing to win his 100th ATP title, the 37-year-old started his clay season in a disappointing way after losing to Alejandro Tabilo in the Monte Carlo Masters first round.<\/p>\n

Djokovic’s run in Madrid didn’t go any better since he was upset by Matteo Arnaldi in his first match at the tournament – a loss which put him on a three-match losing streak.<\/p>\n

A few days after the Madrid exit, the record 24-time Grand Slam champion withdrew from this week’s Rome Masters. Now, the current world No. 6 is set to head to the French Open without a match won on clay this spring.<\/p>\n

Mouratoglou: Djokovic didn’t even look like he was trying to win in Monte Carlo and Madrid<\/h2>\n

\u201cI was very surprised to see Novak play like that in Monte Carlo and then again in Madrid. For a guy like him, if he doesn\u2019t feel like playing, if he doesn\u2019t have the motivation, I don\u2019t think he should play because he didn\u2019t even look like he was trying to win,” Mouratoglou said in a video uploaded on his Instagram.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am not saying he is not able to play better, he is for sure able to play much better, but I felt like he was not prepared physically. I mean, tennis-wise, physically, for those tournaments because he doesn\u2019t have the motivation \u2013 and no judgment there. But the question is \u2018Why did he play then?\u2019 I don\u2019t understand. Motivation is a big thing for him, it\u2019s all about it, and I\u2019ve been saying that now for quite a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n