In order to achieve greatness in any sport, every athlete must have the right guidance and training from an early age. And it was very much the same case with the Russian tennis star, Maria Sharapova. She joined the tennis academy of the legendary coach, Rick Macci, who trained the likes of Serena Williams. At the tender age of six, the 5-singles Grand Slam champion’s father introduced her to an American coach to provide her with the optimal foundation for a promising tennis journey.

Ever since she was a kid, the former tennis ace began to exhibit some signs of ‘uncanny’ talent. It used to astound Macci. Reminiscing about the same, the 68-year-old coach recently brought to light how the former world No. 1 player had the “best” laser focus of any young player he has ever trained.

Serena Williams’ former coach is all praises for her old rival, Maria Sharapova

During his illustrious coaching journey, the 68-year-old has served as a childhood coach for many prominent figures in the women’s circuit. His esteemed clientele includes the likes of the American tennis icons, Venus and Serena Williams, and Jennifer Capriati. Among all these tennis greats during their younger days, Macci believes it was the 11-year-old, Maria Sharapova, who was the “best”; especially when it came to devoting all of her focus and effort to her performances on the court.

Speaking about the same, the seven-time USPTA national coach recently took a trip down memory lane on his Twitter account. He said, “@MariaSharapova at age 11 had this innate uncanny quality to lock in and throw away the key on every single point and be in a bubble. Best laser focus of any young player I ever taught.”

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Macci’s assertions about the 11-year-old, Sharapova’s uncanny prowess, are somewhat justified. After all, she later became one of the best tennis players of her generation. This isn’t the first time when the legendary coach is heaping praise on the former Russian tennis player. While talking about her “laser focus” quality, Macci once made hailed the young Sharapova as the “future number one.”

Williams’ former coach was always optimistic about Sharapova

In one of his previous Tweets, the 68-year-old coach hailed the 11-year-old Sharapova as a player with the best focus on the court. However, he also believed that the Russian tennis star only needed a few improvements in her game, which will help her mark many triumphs on the court. Speaking about the same, Macci expressed his optimism about the young Sharapova while hailing her as the “future number one.” 

READ MORE- Russian Star Maria Sharapova Strolls the Streets of Paris in a Surprise Getaway

What do you think of the legendary tennis coach’s assertions about the young Sharapova’s prowess on the court? Let us know in the comments section.

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