© Getty Images Sport – Clive Brunskill
Coach Rick Macci says Maria Sharapova “had that mental box at 11 already” and that’s something he didn’t even see in Serena Williams. Macci, who famously worked with several all-time greats in their childhood, had a chance to take a look at Sharapova and Williams even way before they became global tennis stars.
According to Macci, Williams was checking every box game and technically-wise. When it comes to Sharapova, Macci felt she was lacking in the athletic aspect but her mental strength was astonishing.
Macci: Sharapova had that mental box at 11 already, I didn’t see it in Williams
“You’ve got to remember to forget.
You got to have the ability to forget. In tennis, it’s very tricky and this separates great from good. You know great is rare air. There’s a lot of good athletes, amazing athletes on the WTA and ATP tour but they’re not the leaders of the clubhouse.
They didn’t become a [Rafael] Nadal… I know it’s a package – the forehand, backhand, serve – you have got to check a lot of boxes. Serena checked every box and created a few more but you have got to check every box.
But the mental part — how you handle pressure… and the…
