Serena Williams ' former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, has drawn scrutiny from Australian tennis legend Todd Woodbridge after he backed the ATP 's imminent trial for off-court coaching.
The governing body for men's tennis recently announced plans to permit coaching from designated seats in the second half of this season. Hand and verbal signals will be allowed provided they don't interfere with the opponent's play, with the trial set to officially get underway on July 11.
Mouratoglou took to Twitter and 'congratulated' the ATP "for 'legalizing' a practice that has been going on at almost every match for decades. No more hypocrisy." Woodbridge quoted Mouratoglou's tweet and said it was "so disappointing" such a high-profile figure had essentially admitted he's been breaking the rule in question for years.
"This is a particularly bad one from you Todd," replied Mouratoglou, 52, who ended his 10-year coaching partnership with Serena Williams earlier this year. "You have been on tour for a long time. Why do you deny the evidence of the coaching happening every day on the courts? To purposely trying to make me look bad and accusing me? This is disappointing…"
It was while working with Mouratoglou that Williams won 10 of her 23 Grand Slam crowns to date, as well as an Olympic gold medal at London 2012. Woodbridge, 51, won 22 major doubles titles across a 12-year span and is regarded as one of the best doubles players of all time.
When Woodbridge responded that he had never been coached mid-game, Mouratoglou poked fun at the Sydney native for his holier-than-thou approach. "Such a role model," he wrote. "I wish I would be you. Maybe in my next life."
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As well as being Williams' coach for numerous career highs, he also oversaw one of her lowest moments in the 2018 U.S Open final. The American was given a code violation after Mouratoglou gestured to her during her clash against Naomi Osaka, precipitating one of the most infamous outbursts in the sport's history.
Mouratoglou later went back to one of Woodbridge's earlier tweets and told him to "learn to read," denying he had ever said he was guilty of coaching. However, he has in the past admitted to signalling Williams, albeit insisting his former charge didn't see the directions.
The Frenchman also said in 2019 that he would "100 per cent" repeat his actions from Flushing Meadows the previous year. Now mentoring Simona Halep, Mouratoglou will hope to make a splash at Wimbledon before the rule trial comes into effect.
