Maria Sharapova Hires Connors As New Coach

Written by: Staff on 15th July 2013

Maria Sharapova Hires Connors As New Coach

epa03758022 Maria Sharapova of Russia serves to Kristina Mladenovic of France during their first round match for the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 24 June 2013. EPA/GERRY PENNY |

Maria Sharapova has made a curious choice for a new coach after announcing that she has taken on former men’s champion Jimmy Connors.

The Russian world No. 2 split last week with Swede Thomas Hogstedt – he was reportedly unable to travel full-time – and will apparently be guided by the one-time American bad boy of the game from three decades ago.

Eight-time grand slam winner Connors, the classic outsider who disappeared from the sport after his retirement in the 1990s, had a brief and torrid coaching run with Andy Roddick which ended in 2008.

Some feel it will be hard to imagine the macho over-60 Connors managing to deal with the intrigues and cliques WTA Tour on a regular basis as would be required by coaching Sharapova.

“I am happy to announce that Jimmy Connors will be my new coach. I have known Jimmy for many years and we briefly worked together in 2008 just before the Australian Open,” Sharapova said on her website. “I am really excited about our new partnership and looking forward to the upcoming tournaments.”

Sharapova may have come to her fast decision after losing in the Wimbledon second round this month under the Hogstedt tutelage. She was upset by Portuguese qualifier Michelle Larcher de Brito, ranked 131.

Connors has been at a loose end in tennis since parting with Roddick, not seen on the BBC Wimbledon coverage for several seasons and recently undergoing hip surgery. His tell-all autobiography in which he embarrassed former fiancée Chris Evert by revealing her teenaged pregnancy has fallen well down on the New York Times bestseller list and the Sharapova offer may be just the financial boost the old star needs.

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: Jimmy Connors, Maria Sharapova, Tennis News, Thomas Hogstedt

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10sBalls_com says:

July 15, 2013 at 8:23 am

Maria Sharapova Hires Connors As New Coach – http://t.co/wSAtFTVHXD @MariaSharapova @JimmyConnors #Tennis @BleacherReport