Serena Williams' former coach makes staggering new claim about split
Patrick Mouratoglou has revealed how he gave Serena Williams an ultimatum before parting ways with the 23-time grand slam champion to join forces with Simona Halep.
Halep shocked the tennis world in April when she revealed that Mouratoglou had become her full-time coach, with the Frenchman later announcing that he'd split with Williams.
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Williams hasn't played since Wimbledon last year when she was forced to retire hurt in the opening round.
She has been absent from the WTA tour for nearly 12 months and was recently a notable absentee when officials released the entry lists for Wimbledon.
While she could still be awarded a wildcard, it seems unlikely that the American champion will be back in action at the grass-court major.
Mouratoglou has previously revealed how he couldn't wait any longer for Williams to return, scratching his itch to return to coaching by linking up with Halep.
And in a new interview this week, the renowned coach has revealed how he gave Williams an ultimatum before the French Open before deciding to part ways.
"I wanted to be fair to her and not be disappointed at the end of my career," he said at a sports festival in Romania.
"I went to ask her what she was going to do. It was very clear to her.
"I asked her if she wanted to go to Roland Garros. She told me she didn't know.
"It was six weeks before the tour. I told her I was waiting for her on Monday for training and if she didn't come I would consider myself free."
Evidently, Williams didn't show up for training and Mouratoglou decided to team up with Halep.
The Frenchman had worked with Williams since 2012, helping her win 10 of her 23 grand slam titles and an Olympic gold medal.
Mouratoglou previously revealed how Halep asked if he was available to coach her while training at his academy in southern France in March.
The Frenchman said it was "out of question at the time" given his commitment to Williams.
"A few weeks later, I had a conversation with Serena, and the door opened for me, at least short term, to work with someone else," he explained.
Patrick Mouratoglou joins forces with Simona Halep
Mouratoglou said he missed coaching too much to sit around and wait for Williams.
"I missed it big time. Coaching is the passion of my life. It’s the job of my life," he told Tennis Majors.
"And when I went to see Serena to discuss before starting with Simona, that’s what I told her.
"I said, ‘coaching is the passion of my life and it’s difficult for me not to work.’ So yes, I missed coaching big, big time.
"Honestly, since I’m back to coaching with Simona, I cannot be happier. It’s an incredible satisfaction for me to do that job. It’s incredible."
Mouratoglou said he felt an instant connection when he linked up with Halep, a two-time grand slam champion.
"Sometimes you feel the connection straight away. Sometimes it takes long," he added.
"In Simona’s case, it was instantly, really. She was very open with me. So that was easy, in a way.
"She made my job easy in being open and giving me the feeling that she’s willing to work and fully commit to what we’re going to do."
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