Eye of the coach #90: Fiery atmospheres (with respect) are good for tennis

Patrick Mouratoglou has responded to comments made by David Goffin about the crowd in Paris at Roland-Garros, with the tennis coach believing that passion is key in sport.

After facing French wildcard Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round, Goffin declared that the Roland-Garros atmosphere was “unhealthy” and this was “happening only in France.”

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“I completely understand what he had to go through,” said Mouratoglou. “I know how difficult it is. I’ve been in this situation, not as a player, but as a coach.”

However, Mouratoglou believes this kind of intense fan engagement is not unhealthy–it’s sport! The best part of tennis is the emotion, and it’s something we should have more of, not less.

“I’ve heard several players complain about the atmosphere, that it was too much, that it was looking like a football match,” the coach explained. “Well, that’s what’s cool about football, no?”

Key moments

• 0.13 – Goffin facing a French player
• 0.25 – Mouratoglou relates his experience with challenging crowds
• 0.38 – Mouratoglou disagrees with Goffin’s claim that rowdy crowds are unhealthy
• 0.50 – There is a minority of fans that behave problematically, and we need to take measures against them
• 0:58 – Rude fans are not only in France, they’re found all over the world
• 1:33 – Not everyone knows tennis, and some can’t control themselves during incredible points – we can’t prevent this
• 1:48 – Sport is all about emotion
• 2:09 – The atmosphere of Stan Wawrinka v Pavel Kotov was fantastic, no-one complained

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