From the swirling winds to the squandered chances to the stubborn foe, Serena Williams overcame it all to win Sundayās U.S. Open womenās final. Her coacš„h/reported boyfriend Patrick Mouratoglou said sheās more consistent and focused thanšØ ever before, and her mother said the reason is simple: Mouratoglou.
āHeās made her more calm,āā Williamsā mother Oracene Price saidą² after her daughter outlasšÆted Victoria Azarenka, 7-5, 6-7 (6), 6-1, in a frenzied final that might have gotten away from her pre-Mouratoglou. āI noticed she doesnāt go crazy anymore. She keeps it more contained now, like in that third set when she found herself.āā
After blowing a 4-1 second-set lead and dropping her firšst set of this U.S. Open in a tiebreaker, Williams showed her newfound focus and hit the resšøet button.
āIām happy because of, you know what couldāve happened: I could be standing hš»ere trying to explain that my strategy was the right one. But the good thing is she found a way, so you donāt even ask the question to me, so thatās fą²ine,āā laughed Mouratoglou, 43, who replaced Williamsā father, Richard, as her coach after a humbling first-round exit in last yearās French Open.
Richard was conspicuously absent from this U.S. Open, but the results with Mouratoglļ·½ouās have been spectacular. Williams is 98-5 with 14 titles ā and four of the last six Grand Slams ā with him, and 67-4 with a career-high nine titles this year after rebounding to roll through Sundayās third set.
āItās a championās reaction, because most of the players when they have pressure they take the wrong waāØy: They try to take the exit.ā Mouratoglou said. āShe didnāt. She just worked harder and worked every point of every match, which is something she never did in the past.āā
āSheās prepared to do anything to get better, so itās not difficult [to coach her] because she wants ą¼ŗto get better. Shšeās always open, thatās one of the secrets to her winning Grand Slams for 14 years ā the will to get better every moment.āā
Thatās shown up in Mouratoglou prodding her ą¹to fight for every game and every point, the same quality former President Bill Clinton praised her for Sunday.
āSheās had 25 6-0 [sets] since January. I donāt know what her former record waź§s,š§ but I think itās less than 10. It shows how intense she gets, and itās definitely the right strategy,āā said Mouratoglou.
āThe bšÆest players in the world are the most intense, alwź¦ays,ā said Mouratoglou. āItās the right strategy, no doubt about it.āā