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In a 2015 file photo, Serena Williams celebrates at the net after winning a semifinal match against Maria Sharapova during the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn & Tennis Croquet Club (Photo: Clive Brunskill, Getty Images)
There are no secret that three of the most popular female seeds at Wimbledon – ninth Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, seeded number 24, and Serena Williams, seeded number 25, will rank little in the besties category
. why the sisters did not bond as colleagues with Maria.
Nevertheless, a similar fact about all three is indisputable: For more than a decade, the 30-something stars have dominated women's headlines on and off the field. No other player, even those who became Grand Slam champions at that time, joined the trio.
Another amazing link between them is that during their formative years, the three times devoted to quality were molded. future champions by Nick Bollettieri. Rightly considered as one of the most influential coaches of the Open era, Bollettieri introduced the concept of the tennis academy into the game.
Bollettieri, 86, does the Of a new documentary titled Love Means Zero. honest and raw way that does not always flatter, but has its full support.
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As the documentary points out, Bollettieri was much more interested in raising his personal profile by creating champions than by earning money. And it did not take him long to see that Serena, Venus and Maria were starred students. The Williams sisters trained at the academy in Bradenton, Florida, occasionally, while Sharapova joined the Bollettieri Academy full-time at 9
"My relationship with Venus, Serena and Maria , mackerel, they were different, "said Bollettieri, by phone in a recent interview. "Maria Sharapova, you had to kill her to beat her, in her mind nothing was ever over."
"Serena and Venus taught their daddy to control the game, to do it, and to do it. that's how they did it, "he said Serena and Venus started working with the academy around 9 and 10 respectively." Their dad taught them to run for each ball and the girls sometimes said, "Daddy, the ball is far away" and he said, "Serena, Venus, there is no bullet."
Venus Williams (left) and Serena Williams share a moment in their doubles match against Andreja Klepac and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez at Roland Garros in 2018 on June 3. (Photo: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY (HUI Sports)
All three were shown the way to tennis by their fathers.However, Richard Williams had a very different idea rent of how to make a champion to Yuri Sharapov.
"When Richard brought the girls to the academy, he told me that they were going to be the next Michael Jordan," Bollettieri said. "I said:" Richard, what do you want me to work on? "He said," Mr. Bollettieri, if I were to tell you about what to work, I would not be there, so I'll go get my free breakfast, "and he would leave.He just did not want them to play sets or matches until they they are 14. And when the girls came out of the tennis court, they were not allowed to talk about tennis, it was kept on the tennis court. "
Bollettieri jokes about the behavior from Sharapov on the ground.
"When Yuri came, I thought he was the income tax man," says Bollettieri laughing. "He wrote everything in a book and said," But what is it? "Maria was a bargain, she thought it was me or you, and that's what made Maria, her desire to win, and it's not over until that." that it's over, that's how Maria was and as she is today.He did her lesson, picked up her belongings and boom, daddy and her left.Bollettieri never chewed her words or made politically correct choices – he openly favored Andre Agassi to his fellow student Jim Courier, which is a central theme of the documentary Showtime – and admits to looking at the big picture that he felt that Serena and Venus had more to show that Sharapova.
"I've probably seen more in Venus and Serena, their construction, they were strong," he said. "With Maria, she was thin as a rail. After a while, Serena started to come off hard. She had a very good service. I believe that if Maria Sharapova had had a big service, she would have been twice as good as her. I believe that the service was probably the weakest part of his game.
"To find a weakness in Venus and Serena, I should have put four or five pairs of glasses," he added. "When they are at the top of the game, there was no technical weakness." Sometimes Serena is too tough with her and she was like an actress with all the faces she's made. poker player – you never knew what she thought – and Maria in the same way. "
There's a lesson that Bollettieri instilled in Venus Williams, now 37 with seven Grand Slam titles; , 36, with an Open Era, has recorded 23 Grand Slam titles and Sharapova, 31, with five Grand Slam titles.And it is that there is always something more to accomplish, which could explain why they are looking for even more glory.
"In my book, I have not climbed the highest mountain yet," said Bollettieri. "When someone uses the word retreat they become complacent and their life is over. There is always another challenge. I will never retire. "
