Patrick Mouratoglou reveals unexpected problems all players face at the US Open

Winning the US Open is the toughest challenge in tennis, according to celebrated coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

The final Grand Slam of the year is set to get underway later this month, with Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka preparing to defend their titles in New York.

While the glamour of playing on an Arthur Ashe Stadium court that is the biggest in tennis appears to be a stage any tennis player would relish, Mouratoglou has highlighted the challenges of competing at the US Open.

The French coach famously guided Serena Williams to success in numerous Grand Slam tournaments and was caught up in one of the more contentious moments in recent years when he was accused of illegal coaching of the American legend back in 2018.

Williams received a code violation for coaching and lost her cool in an incident that overshadowed Naomi Osaka’s first Grand Slam title win.

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Now Mouratoglou has outlined the challenges of playing at the US Open, as he suggested it is the most demanding major of the tennis year.

“When you play the US Open, your match is only part of your day. The other part is surviving New York’s logistics,” he wrote on LinkedIn.

“The distance from Manhattan to the stadium is long, and when traffic hits, it’s unpredictable. You need to plan everything around it: when to leave, how to avoid getting stuck, even how to recover in between.

“Add to that the distractions of the city: world-class restaurants, parties, nightlife… New York offers a thousand temptations, and staying 100% focused is a challenge for some players.”

He went on to suggest fitness issues often complicate the hurdles players need to leap over to lift the title in New York.

“It’s the last Slam of the year, coming after an intense stretch where players have already played Roland-Garros and Wimbledon, sometimes with the Olympics in between,” he continued.

“By September, many arrive completely drained. I’ve seen it with Carlos Alcaraz last year: when he played and won Roland-Garros and Wimbledon, and then, the final of the Olympic Games by the time he started the US swing, he was “dead” physically.”

Mouratoglou went on to suggest the New York heat can be even more demanding than players endure at the Australian Open in Melbourne and he concluded by highlighting the different challenge of playing under the lights in a night session.

“Day matches are hotter, windier, and faster,” he added. “At night, the wind usually drops, the humidity rises, and the ball travels differently.

“It’s almost like playing two different tournaments and adapting quickly is key to surviving the draw.”

The world’s best players will need to overcome all of these challenges to lift the US Open title, where only the strongest prevail.

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