Maria Sharapova’s Ex-Agent Recollects the Unforgettable Moment of Her Father’s Selfless Decision to Call It Quits on Coaching the WTA Star

When Maria Sharapova was starting out in her tennis career, her father Yuri Sharapov was actively involved in coaching. The Russian player has previously talked about her grim financial situation because of which Yuri Sharapov had to take on the role of his daughter’s coach during the early years of her career. But that working relationship eventually ended. Maria’s former coach recalls the exact moment when.

Maria Sharapova had always appreciated her father’s role in teaching her tennis and building her career. However, their coaching partnership ended after 20 years of mentoring Maria. Some fresh insight was provided by Max Eisenbud’s disclosure regarding the termination of Yuri’s coaching relationship with his daughter.

Max Eisenbud points out the exact moment when Maria Sharapova’s father called it quits as coach

In a candid conversation on Served With Andy Roddick, Max Eisenbud revealed his insights on the crucial role that Maria Sharapova’s father played in the early tennis career of his daughter. After watching Maria win her third Grand Slam at the age of twenty, her father decided to call it quits. “He made a toast and I’ll never forget the toast he made, he said just like this, he said baby we won three grand slams by the age of 19 and I am done and he never came to a tournament after that day,” Max Eisenbud said in the podcast.

The former agent of Sharapova also pointed out the probable reason behind Yuri Sharapov’s decision to end his coaching relationship with Maria. “It was getting to the point she was 19, it was starting to affect their relationship[…] he knew that he couldn’t push her anymore and she accomplished everything she did and he stepped away and never had a credential ever again,” he further added, emphasizing the reason behind the decision.

In earlier interviews, Maria Sharapova acknowledged that part of the reason she split from that coach/ father relationship was that she had grown up enough. Following the 2008 Australian Open, Michael Joyce took over as Sharapova’s head coach. However, Sharapova has never shied away from speaking candidly about her father’s invaluable teaching role, and Max Eisenbud’s remarks in this regard have just reinforced it.

Eisenbud commends Yuri Sharapova for his commitment to advancing Sharapova’s career

Max Eisenbud expressed his gratitude to Yuri Sharapova for her daughter’s highly successful tennis career and the unwavering dedication with which she has been coached. “That is the guy who put his relationship with his daughter before anything else […], he just did everything for her,” Max Eisenbud said in the interview.

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Maria Sharapova herself has previously revealed her father’s immense hard work during the early stages of her career as a coach. Although Yuri Sharapova ended his coaching of Sharapova, his valuable guidance and teachings have helped bring out the exceptional talent of Maria in tennis.