Renowned tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou recently shared his assessment of the 2026 Australian Open final, explaining why Carlos Alcaraz ultimately had the upper hand over Novak Djokovic. Alcaraz created history on Sunday, February 1, by claiming his seventh Grand Slam title and becoming the youngest player in the Open Era to complete a career Grand Slam.
Patrick Mouratoglou Believes ‘Finding Solutions’ in Worst Situations Helped Carlos Alcaraz Defeat Novak Djokovic
Alcaraz’s mindset is what truly sets him apart in an increasingly cut-throat tour, a point Patrick Mouratoglou underlined while sharing his views in an Instagram clip. After dropping the opening set 2–6, the World No. 1 appeared on the brink as the Serb looked set to win a historic 25th Grand Slam title. Instead, Alcaraz showed remarkable composure and stormed back to win the next three sets 6–2, 6–3, 7–5 to seal his maiden Australian Open crown.
Mouratoglou recently highlighted Alcaraz’s elite competitiveness, stressing his ability to stay calm under pressure and find solutions in difficult moments. Even when Djokovic looked dominant early, Alcaraz’s composure and adaptability convinced him the Spaniard would turn the match around.
“You can find a million qualities to Alcaraz. If there is one that is bigger than anything else it’s, how much he’s an incredible competitor who finds solutions in the worst situations. He doesn’t need to play great to win,” Mouratoglou said.
“What I can say about this men’s final is when I see the first set, I tell you, Novak is going to win! Because when Novak is like this, nobody can resist. But then after one set, you see that Carlos is still like this. You can feel that he is going to find solutions where anyone else would have panicked,” he added.
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Mouratoglou, who enjoyed a highly successful partnership with 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, then offered his perspective on what may have been going through Alcaraz’s and Djokovic’s minds during the match.
“My opponent who is the best player of all time, is playing unbelievable. I will find a solution, and I will win at the end. He has this voice that tells him don’t worry. And I would say 99.9% of the players would have lost this final against Novak. He is the best mental player of all time,” he said.
“But he didn’t win against Carlos, because at some point he felt, ‘Wow he is gonna still challenge me every time. I’m completely exhausted physically and mentally. I played the perfect first set, that should put a lot of pressure on him. Instead of going down, he’s slowly coming up. He is finding solutions,'” he added.
Mouratoglou explained that the Australian Open final needed mental resilience rather than skill. Ultimately, Alcaraz’s superior physical condition gave him an edge.
“You had two mental monsters in front of each other and that was not so much about the game it was about who is gonna give up here and none of the guys gave up, so at the end it was most physically fit that won. There is no surprise to see that Carlos is already breaking a lot of records. He has the game, he has the level, and he has the mental strength that is making such a difference,” he concluded.
Alcaraz wrested control of the contest by breaking Djokovic’s serve twice to level the match, before elevating his play in the next set with a blend of flair and precision from all areas of the court.
The 38-year-old responded with trademark resolve in the fourth, saving six break points early on, but he ultimately couldn’t keep his winning streak in the Australian Open Final alive.
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