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© Patrick Mouratoglou
Focus
Patrick Mouratoglou, the Grands Slams coach
Following on from our analysis of styles sported by tennis players, we sat down with one of the biggest coaches to ever grace Roland-Garros. Boasting 10 Grand Slam titles (with Serena Williams), 38 singles titles, 1 Olympic title, and 4 titles as the world’s best coach, Patrick Mouratoglou is the most influential and closely followed figures in the tennis world. EYESEEmag met him at the launch of his very first sportswear collection, distributed by Celio. The man who trained Stefanos Tsitsipas and Holger Rune told us about his new collection, his style, and his favorite sunglasses.
-Interviewed by Yanita Kostova-
What inspired this collection?
It all started with a friendship. I am good friends with Sébastien Bismuth (the CEO of Celio). We were talking one day, and he said: “Why don’t you launch your own brand?” It was something I had been thinking about for a long time, but I had never done anything about it. He convinced me!
Did you take part in the design side of things?
Yes, I played a very active role. I have a very precise idea of the things I like and the technical quality required to make sportswear. I hate the idea that a tennis collection should only be worn on a tennis court, and I think Celio did a fantastic job adapting and delivering the quality I was looking for. I wanted this collection to be extremely understated and simple – I find beauty in simplicity.
It reflects your personal style. But do you ever indulge in anything fanciful, particularly in terms of accessories such as eyewear?
Other than watches, which I love, I am not particularly attached to material things. I enjoy wearing my glasses because they have fantastic lenses and I really like them. But I have never worn extravagant glasses out of choice – and I don’t plan on starting now.
Are sunglasses important for a tennis coach?
Yes, absolutely. We spend all year out the sun and so we have to protect our eyes. In our profession, the quality of our eyesight is essential.
What sunglasses do you wear?
Aviators. I have a partnership with Maui Jim. I love their lenses, which are of exceptional quality. There is a vast choice of glasses with an incredible number of different models. There really is something for everyone. I also find the Maui Jim backstory very cool and quirky.*
© Maui Jim modèle Cliff House
© Maui Jim modèle Guardrails