What Maria Sharapova did aged 11 that was ‘so special’ which Serena Williams struggled with

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Maria Sharapova enjoyed a legendary tennis career, setting the bar high for the Russian stars of today to follow.

The talented Russian star shocked the world in 2004 when she won her maiden Grand Slam title at Wimbledon.

Over the next ten years, Sharapova added four further majors to her collection, retiring in 2020 as a five-time champion.

She enjoyed several legendary rivalries throughout her career, although few could compete with her and Serena Williams’ many battles.

Speaking today, a former coach of both Sharapova and Williams has revealed the biggest difference between the two tennis icons during their junior careers.

Rick Macci says Maria Sharapova was ‘mentally so special’ as a junior compared to Serena Williams

Sharing his thoughts as he so often does, Rick Macci took to X to comment on Sharapova’s strongest attribute during her younger years.

“Maria [Sharapova] at age 11 was mentally so special,” he said.

“Her focus was like she was in a bubble.”

The same could not be said for Williams, however, as Macci reveals the 23-time Grand Slam champion struggled to concentrate when she was 11 years old.

“Serena [Williams], age 11, would wave at an airplane going by,” he said.

Macci was, however, keen to remind fans that juniors develop at different stages.

“Remember it is Junior development, not junior final destination,” he said.

“It is not where you start, it is where you finish.”

While Sharapova may have shown more mental strength during her junior career than Williams, it was the American who enjoyed the better career on the WTA Tour.

• Serena Williams – 23 Grand Slams
• Maria Sharapova – 5 Grand Slams

Interestingly, their head-to-head record mirrored their development, as Sharapova started strongly, but couldn’t keep up with Williams as the years went by.

Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova’s head-to-head record

After losing their first career meeting at the 2004 Miami Open, Sharapova famously beat Williams in the Wimbledon final later that same year.

Securing her second-straight win over Williams, Sharapova defeated her rival in the final of the WTA Finals in Turkey, finishing her breakout year on a high note.

Remarkably, that was her last win over the legendary American, as Sharapova proceeded to lose 19 consecutive matches against Williams.

In just three of those matches did Sharapova manage to take a set off Williams, as the Russian couldn’t work out a way to beat the biggest star in the women’s game.

Their final match perfectly summed up their rivalry, as Sharapova won just two games in a straight-sets defeat to Williams at the 2019 US Open.

What once promised to be a rivalry for the ages finished with an all too familiar beatdown on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Sharapova never quite reached the heights of Williams during her career, but in fairness, neither did anyone else.

A haul of five Grand Slams and a 21-week stint atop the world rankings was still more than enough for Sharapova to earn herself a place among the greats of the women’s game.