"I don’t think any coach could have succeeded in the frame of mind I had at that time" - When Maria Sharapova spoke about firing Jimmy Connors as her coach after just 1 match
Maria Sharapova and Jimmy Connors had one of the briefest player-coach relationships in tennis history.
Connors replaced Thomas Hogstedt as the Russian's coach in 2013 after she crashed out in the second round of Wimbledon at the hands of Michelle Larcher de Brito. However, the duo's professional relationship lasted just one match.
Sharapova fired the American following a 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-3 defeat to Sloane Stephens in the second round of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.
The Russian spoke about her brief stint with Connors in an interview with the New York Times in December 2013. She admitted that the former World No. 1 had become her coach at the wrong time as she was not in a good frame of mind.
"Jimmy came in at the wrong time and in the wrong place," Sharapova said. “When he came in post-Wimbledon, I don’t think any coach could have succeeded in the frame of mind I had at that time. Because I was going to practice, and I knew I couldn’t serve, and I knew that there was a good chance I might not play the U.S. Open. As an athlete, that’s tough to digest. I was not fun to be around, and it was a tough position for him."
After parting ways with Jimmy Connors, Maria Sharapova appointed Sven Groeneveld as her coach from 2013-2018.
How Maria Sharapova fared in the 2013 season
Maria Sharapova's 2013 season was a decent one as she won 37 out of 44 matches. The Russian started the season well by reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open before winning the Indian Wells Open, where she beat Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-2 in the final.
She had a chance to complete the Sunshine Double but lost 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 to Serena Williams in the Miami Open final.
Sharapova carried her form into the clay-court season and won the Stuttgart Open before suffering another final defeat to Williams, this time at the Italian Open.
The Russian entered the French Open as the defending champion and reached the final before once again losing to Serena Williams. Sharapova's form tapered off a bit after this, as she suffered a second-round exit at Wimbledon before losing her opening match at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.
Her season came to an end after she withdrew from the US Open due to a shoulder injury.