Patrick Mouratoglou has coached some of the greatest names in tennis, but even he admits his journey began with doubts. Long before working with Serena Williams or Stefanos Tsitsipas, he found himself at a Challenger event in Bratislava with a young Marcos Baghdatis — and questioning whether he was cut out for the job.

Baghdatis, then ranked around No. 300, had battled through qualifying to reach the final, where he faced Dominik Hrbatý, a Top 15 player at the time. On paper, the contest looked one-sided. Hrbatý’s weapons and experience seemed far superior. Mouratoglou recalls sitting courtside and thinking his player had no chance. “Erbati has a better forehand, better backhand, better serve, moves better. And I remember I thought, it’s going to be tough to win this one,” he said.

His f

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