We all know what a fabulous player Maria Sharapova was and her records speak volumes about her prowess. She gave us an insight into how Nick Bollettieri helped her in developing her career.
The legendary player is among a list of legends who had been mentored by Nick Bollettieri. The legendary American coach’s demise has broken the tennis world’s hearts. The 91-year-old shaped the careers of several legendary players like Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Andre Agassi, Monica Seles, and many more.
Players have been sharing heartfelt tributes towards the popular coach after he passed away on December 4, 2022. Maria Sharapova shared her emotional tribute to her mentor and revealed how Bollettieri would switch on the gym lights early in the morning with a smile on his face.
“You turned on the gymnasium lights at 5am with the brightest (&whitest!) smile. You opened the door to your home, the grounds on which you gave us the freedom to pour our hearts and sweat on. The scoreboard never dictated your commitment to show up for us. Boy is that rare!” – wrote Sharapova on Twitter.
Replying to her own tweet, Sharapova said she considered herself lucky to have spent many memorable moments with Bollettieri and also expressed her gratitude. She added:
“I am a lucky girl to have shared so many remarkable moments with you. Thank you for everything, Nick!!”
Maria Sharapova won five Grand Slam titles during her illustrious career. That includes 2 French Open titles and one title in the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open, respectively.
Sharapova won her first Grand Slam title at the 2004 Wimbledon Championships by defeating two-time defending champion Serena Williams in the final.
At the age of just 17 years & 75 days, Sharapova became the 3rd youngest women’s champion in the history of Wimbledon.
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