"One of the mentally strongest players": Coach Rick Macci lauds Maria Sharapova's mental strength

Tennis coach Rick Macci has named former world number one Maria Sharapova as one of the ‘mentally toughest’ player he has ever coached. The 37-year-old was once regarded as one of the best players playing in women’s tennis in the singles category.

Sharapova’s former coach, Macci, in a post on his official account on the social media platform, named the former Russian tennis star as the ‘mentally toughest’ he has ever coached. “One of the mentally strongest players I ever taught Maria Sharapova,” he wrote. This is not the first time when Macci has praised the talent of the Nyagan-born star as he also mentioned earlier that at the age of just 11, he knew that Sharapova will become the world number one. "At age 11 I feel that mentally she's already in a bubble, she'll be number 1 in the world someday,” he said.

Sharapova surprisingly retired at the age of just 33 in 2020. She finished her career with five Grand Slams, and despite that, she managed to complete the Career Grand Slams by winning a major tournament on every surface. Her first title was at Wimbledon in 2004 when she defeated the former world number one America’s Serena Williams in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-1, 6-4. Her last major title was the French Open in 2014 when she defeated former world number one Romania’s Simona Halep in the final with a score of 6–4, 6–7(5–7), 6–4.

Roland Garros was the only major competition in which Sharapova lifted the title twice. She also won the French Open in 2012, defeating Italy’s Sara Errani in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-2. In addition, Sharapova won a silver medal for her country in the London Olympics in 2012. She lost to Serena in the singles category final in straight sets with a score of 6-0, 6-1.