After Maria Sharapova’s triumphant Wimbledon victory in 2004, her father Yuri, who also played a pivotal role as her coach, immersed himself in a week-long partying session, as revealed by Max Eisenbud, a longstanding collaborator with Sharapova spanning over two decades.
In the historic final at SW19 in 2004, Sharapova secured her maiden Grand Slam title by defeating the two-time defending champion, Serena Williams, with a score of 6-1, 6-4. Notably, Sharapova was a mere 17 years old at the time, showcasing her exceptional talent on the prestigious Centre Court.
Yuri Sharapova’s contributions to his daughter’s success were profound. Serving as her coach, he laid the foundation for her tennis journey. Yuri’s sacrifices included relocating from a settled life in Sochi, Russia, leaving behind his wife Yelena, to move to Miami, Florida. This move allowed Maria to train at Nick Bolletieri’s tennis academy from the tender age of nine.
Yuri’s dedication bore fruit as Maria triumphed at Wimbledon, and Yuri, in his joy, didn’t spare even a few hours and left for partying with his friends. According to recent revelations by Sharapova’s agent, Max Eisenbud, Yuri promptly headed to the English mountains armed with $10,000 in hand after Maria’s victory at Wimbledon in 2004.
“When she [Maria Sharapova] won [Wimbledon 2004], he [Yuri] wanted, he made us go to the bank, you know the bank on the side of Wimbledon to get $10,000. You know, you can’t travel with more than $10,000. He took 10,000 cash and went with his buddies in the mountains and partied for like a week and left me with her,” Eisenbud shared during the Served with Andy Roddick podcast.
Eisenbud confessed to being in the dark about Yuri’s exact whereabouts during the celebratory excursion. “He left the next morning, ten in cash, and went to a party with all his friends. I never know where he went, he just said: ‘I’m going, meeting all my buddies, that I grew up with in the mountains and we’re going to party.’ I didn’t ask any questions, all my job was I needed to get him 10,000 in cash and he was going to party with his friends,” he added.
“It’s always complicated when dad’s involved,” Maria Sharapova on being coached by her father
Maria Sharapova recently shared insights into her early career, shedding light on her father, Yuri Sharapova’s coaching role. The tennis icon, boasting five Grand Slam singles titles, secured victories at the French Open twice and claimed titles at the Australian Open, Wimbledon Championships, and the US Open.
In a conversation on the Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard podcast, Sharapova delved into her father’s coaching stint during the initial phases of her career, driven by financial constraints.
Despite the unconventional start, she expressed gratitude for Yuri’s coaching, emphasizing his unparalleled understanding of both her individuality and game, surpassing any other potential coach they could have considered.
“It’s always complicated when dad’s involved. So my father was my coach from the very beginning for one reason, because we didn’t have money for another option. So the longer he was my coach, the more he knew about me and my game and knew what was best for me,” Maria Sharapova said.
“So that is what I appreciated is that there was no one else that knew my struggles and my challenges and my game and the belief that he had in me was exceptional,” she added.
“He also knew how to challenge me in the right ways which in the dynamic of a father-daughter is very hard. How much do you push your child so that they get the most out of this. But they’re not in a year or two saying, no dad, you pushed me so much that I want to leave. So it’s such a fine line,” Maria Sharapova concluded.
