Saturday evening, Sept. 11, 2006, marked the pinnacle of Maria Sharapova’s US Open experience. She had just earned her second Grand Slam singles title with an impressive 6-4, 6-4 win over Justine Henin. Sharapova’s outfit that night was also quintessential Manhattan, a black sequined dress inspired by actress Audrey Hepburn and her performance in the iconic movie, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”
As she exited the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Sharapova was still a precocious teenager, a confident 19-year-old armed with bazooka-like ground strokes, millions in endorsement deals and the possibility of one Slam run after another. Surely there would be many more such New York nights.
It hasn’t quite gone that way. Following her 2006 win in New York, Sharapova has reached seven Grand Slam finals, adding three additional titles. Sharapova’s 2012 French Open victory made her only the 10th woman in tennis history to have earned singles titles at all four majors. The added plot point in Sharapova’s journey is that since 2008 she’s suffered several shoulder injuries that have significantly handicapped her service motion and even threatened to end her career.
Despite her movie-star image, for Sharapova, glamour has always taken a back seat to grit. According to Tennis Channel analyst and two-time US Open champion Tracy Austin, “When it comes to motivation, so many players have ebbs and flows. Not Maria. Her desire to compete is always there.”
Still, for all the triumphs, none of those seven subsequent Grand Slam finals have been in New York. Only once since 2006 has Sharapova made it to the US Open semis. In the interim, Sharapova has been beaten by teenagers Agnieszka Radwanska and Melanie Oudin, middleweight Flavia Pennetta, and twice by Caroline Wozniacki, including a 6-2 in the third defeat last year that revealed Sharapova’s shortcomings in such areas as volley skills and movement.
For most players, Sharapova’s 2015 would be considered excellent – two singles titles, a runner-up showing at the Australian Open, the semis of Wimbledon. But alas, those losses in Melbourne and London came versus Sharapova’s form of kryptonite. Wimbledon marked the 17th straight time Sharapova had lost to Serena Williams.
Sharapova knows how to beat anyone and everyone else in women’s tennis. She might not always emerge the victor, but at least she has the skills it takes to win. Versus Williams, though, Sharapova always seems overmatched – a large hurdle for someone so intent on competing for major titles. According to former pro and tennis psychologist Allen Fox, “Serena can hit as well as Sharapova and she moves much better and serves better.”
And as Sharapova said following the Wimbledon defeat, “One of the things she does extremely well is to [move] from a defensive position into the offense again. I was not able to do that.”
The final X factor is that Serena is every bit as tenacious and confident a competitor as Sharapova.
But just like New York City, Sharapova has always been resilient. Said Austin, “She is very forward thinking, very positive.” If Sharapova is haunted by the losses to Williams, she’d likely never admit it. Disappointing endings at the US Open? That was then, this is now. Heck, this is a woman who can put multiple double faults behind her and keep on swinging big.
As the US Open gets underway, though, Sharapova has played less tennis than desired. A leg injury forced her to pull out of WTA events in Toronto and Cincinnati. The lack of match play will surely make it challenging for the world No. 3 to maximize her playing style, a tactical approach that also mirrors a New York City attribute: high-octane offense.
As Fox said, “Her strengths are competitive will and ball-striking. She knows because she’s not the best mover that she must take control of the point immediately. It takes a particular kind of individual to have the nerves to go for it like that again and again. But she does. Her nerves are pretty good.”
Having last won the US Open as a 19-year-old, Sharapova at 28 would relish the chance to raise the trophy once again. But whether in victory or defeat, count on Sharapova to give her all – and leave it all – on the court. And isn’t that what US Open crowds love most of all?
