Patrick Mouratoglou believes there was “a little contradiction” in Carlos Alcaraz’s comments about not caring if he wins tournaments after his Indian Wells victory.
The renowned coach, who works with Alcaraz’s rival Holger Rune, feels Alcaraz was emphasising the importance of enjoying the process rather than focusing on winning.
Carlos Alcaraz won his first tournament in eight months at the Indian Wells Masters in March, where he defended the title he won in 2023. The 20-year-old Spaniard had not lifted a trophy since claiming his second Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in July last year.
Following his victory over Daniil Medvedev in the Indian Wells final, Alcaraz said: “If I win tournaments or not, I don’t care. It’s about enjoying playing tennis, once I step on the court, putting my game. It’s what only matters.
“That’s why I’m really, really happy to lift this trophy, because I found myself at this tournament, and I felt really, really good.”
In a video posted on his Instagram account, Mouratoglou gave his thoughts on Alcaraz’s quotes and agreed that focusing on the process is the right approach for players.
“What Carlos Alcaraz is saying is that he doesn’t care if he wins tournaments or not, that it’s about enjoying the process,” he said. “But in the same sentence, he says, ‘That’s why I’m so happy that I lift the trophy,’ so there’s a little contradiction.
https://www.instagram.com/patrickmouratoglou/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=f15908d6-8368-4b81-8335-7778860ab688
“And I think that what he means is that when you are competing, you cannot focus on winning. It brings crazy pressure. It doesn’t help you focus on how to win.
“Everybody was saying that what was great with him was that he was smiling all the time, playing tennis, and then he started to win a lot.
“And then suddenly, much more expectation, and probably his mindset switched from playing the tennis he loves to play to having to win, and then suddenly he couldn’t anymore.
“Focus on the process, ‘What do I need to do to have a good chance to win and lift trophies?’ And that is the best way to win them.”
The Frenchman then clarified his stance was supportive of Alcaraz in response to some criticism he received in the comment section on his post.
“Why some of you are aggressive? I explain that he focuses on the process and not on the result and that is why he is successful again,” Mouratoglou wrote.
Along with world No 7 Rune, Mouratoglou has worked with several current and retired tennis stars, including Serena Williams, Simona Halep, Coco Gauff and Stefanos Tsitsipas. He coaches at the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in France.
Carlos Alcaraz, who lost in the quarter-finals of the Miami Open to Grigor Dimitrov, will next feature at the Monte Carlo Masters.
