Rick Macci played a leading role in the development of Serena and Venus Williams.
The Williams sisters trained at the Rick Macci International Tennis Academy, learning from one of the world’s best coaches.
In total, Macci trained five number-one-ranked tennis players: Andy Roddick, Jennifer Capriati, Maria Sharapova, Venus Williams, and Serena Williams.
Sum up Serena Williams’ career in one word
It’s safe to say the 71-year-old has an eye for talent!
So when he says he’s found someone with attributes he hasn’t seen in a player since Serena Williams, it’s definitely worth a listen…
Rick Macci says nine-year-old Vlada Hrancar can become world number one
Macci has been coaching Ukrainian youngster Vlada Hrancar for two years.
The American believes she has what it takes to become one of the very best in the world, but how did their partnership come about?
During an interview with ‘Florida Tennis‘, Macci revealed all.
“As you could imagine, I get 10s of thousands of videos, especially after people saw the movie King Richard, ‘I’ve got the next Venus [Williams], I’ve got the next Serena [Williams]’. I get that all the time,” he said.
“I got a call from a good friend of mine, Peter Bodo, senior writer at Tennis.com, he says, Rick, there’s a little girl up here, Vermont, New York area, that got out of Ukraine, you should take a look.
“I’ve seen that movie before!
“I said, Peter, just send me a video. So he sent me a video, I saw some speed and quickness, the racket was bigger than her! She was only seven, like 60 pounds, 4ft, 4, I don’t know. I said, listen, if they want to come to Florida, I can take the temperature and check her out. That’s what I say with most kids.”
Hrancar travelled down to Florida with her parents, and the rest, as they say, is history.
“So they came, drove all the way down from New York, it was on a Saturday, I’m on Court number six, I’m teaching a 12-year-old boy, they come up, I’m already checking out the height of the mom, 5ft, 8, that evaluation of talent that I do,” said Macci.
“She jumps on the court with the kid, and I get right into the competition. Because I want to know what’s on the inside, just like I did with VW [Venus Williams] and Serena.
“After five minutes, I saw something inside this child that I haven’t seen since Venus and Serena.
“It was personal between her and the ball, it was a rage.
“That doesn’t mean you’re going to be a great tennis player, number one in the world. All that means, in the game of life, when the bell rings, you go to a different level.
“That was already baked in, double crispy, and she was seven!
“I saw that, then I saw the speed, the quickness, the focus, the discipline. The strokes were all messed up, ok, but I don’t look at that.”
Hrancar soon began training at the Academy, but it didn’t take long for Macci to take a more active role in her career.
“For me to get involved, I can’t do that, I’m too busy, too expensive. It’s just not going to work,” he said.
“So they decided to come, and here’s where everything changed. After a month, and me seeing this live and in color, I’m saying, this little girl can be number one in the world, but I’ve got to get involved.
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“I’ve got to do reconstructive surgery, forehand, backhand, serve. Strategically, I’ve got to put together elite strokes biomechanically. I’ve got to teach her a game that is going to transcend in the future, six, eight years from now, because the game is going to be very different, quicker, faster, missiles off both sides.”
Seeing a vision of what Hrancar could become, Macci did something he hadn’t since the days of the Williams sisters.
“I said [to Hrancar’s parents], listen, I know you need help. If you are interested, we can enter into a contract,” he said.
“I never even thought about this with anybody since Venus and Serena, and I put millions into that project, because it was a gamble. It’s a mystery.
“I said, ‘If you’re interested, I’ll do it.’ We entered into a 20-year contract. I not only coach her, but I represent her.”
Macci is steadfast in his belief in Hrancar’s potential.
“If I can’t make this little girl number one in the world, I did a bad job,” he said.
Only time will tell if Hrancar can fulfill her potential with Macci in her corner.
How good is Vlada Hrancar?
At nine years of age, it’s impossible to really know how good a tennis player she will be.
But the signs do look promising.
Hrancar has improved her UTR ranking from 3 to 8.2 in the two years since she started working with Macci.
If she can continue on the same trajectory, there is a real chance that we see her compete on the WTA Tour someday.
That day won’t be coming anytime soon, though, after all, she is only nine…
The soonest she could make her WTA Tour debut is 2031, when she turns 14.
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