“Maria Sharapova’s father’s first comment was, ‘We’re here to beat Venus & Serena Williams'”: Ex-coach Rick Macci reveals Russian’s dad’s intense goal

Legendary tennis coach Rick Macci, who trained both Maria Sharapova and the Williams sisters, revealed an interesting fact about the Russian tennis star’s father, Yuri. He also discussed Yuri’s impact on her daughter’s high-profile tennis career.

Sharapova and the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, played more or less in the same era. While the Williams sisters might have still dominated the era, they had their fair share of trouble while playing against Sharapova. On Thursday, August 14, Macci paid tribute to Yuri in a heartfelt X post, writing:

“Yuri Sharapova a great guy and the driving force behind Maria and was an intense man on a mission. He was so fired up and driven on day one his first comment was We are here to beat the Williams sisters! I smiled and said hope your in no Hurry Yuri! @MariaSharapova.”

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Rick Macci

@RickMacci

Yuri Sharapova a great guy and the driving force behind Maria and was an intense man on a mission. He was so fired up and driven on day one his first comment was We are here to beat the Williams sisters! I smiled and said hope your in no Hurry Yuri! @MariaSharapova

Macci lauded Yuri for Sharapova's career in April, especially against the Williams sisters. Macci wrote:

"Yuri Sharapova was a man on a mission. He was so driven and told me at age 11 were only here to prepare to be better than the WILLIAMS SISTERS. PERIOD. Whoa! Told him mentally Maria is VERY special on the INSIDE."

"Venus and Serena are VERY special on the INSIDE and OUTSIDE and a brutal competitor when your on the OTHER SIDE. But your kid can be number one some day," he added.

Rick Macci

@RickMacci

Yuri Sharapova was a man on a mission. He was so driven and told me at age 11 were only here to prepare to be better than the WILLIAMS SISTERS. PERIOD. Whoa! Told him mentally Maria is VERY special on the INSIDE. Venus and Serena are VERY special on the INSIDE and OUTSIDE and a

Maria Sharapova's father, Yuri, introduced her to Aleksandr Kafelnikov, who coached his son, Yevgeny, to two Grand Slam titles and the first World No. 1 from Russia. After receiving her first tennis racket at age four, she practiced regularly with her father before taking tennis lessons from veteran Russian coach Yuri Yutkin.

Fast forward to now, and Sharapova is a five-time Grand Slam champion. Her win over Serena Williams in the 2004 Wimbledon championship marked her arrival on the tennis circuit in a big way.

When Rick Macci spoke about what separates Maria Sharapova from others

Rick Macci has coached various legends in her Hall of Fame tennis coaching career, including Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Andy Roddick, and Jennifer Capriati. Still, Maria Sharapova stands out when it comes to mental strength.

"One of the mentally strongest players I ever taught," he wrote in 2024, while reacting to a throwback clip of Sharapova.

Maria Sharapova has won almost everything there is to win as a singles tennis player. She has won all four calendar Grand Slams in her career while also bagging a win in the Tour Finals in 2004. The only thing she came short of was winning an Olympic gold. Her best finish was a silver medal, which she achieved at the 2012 London Olympics.

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Krutik Jain

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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