"You opened the door to your home" - Maria Sharapova pays touching tribute to former coach Nick Bollettieri following his death

Maria Sharapova shared an emotional message for Nick Bollettieri, her former coach, who played a huge role in shaping her tennis career. Bollettieri passed away earlier this week at the age of 91 after a prolonged battle with illness, and many in the tennis world paid tribute to the legendary tennis coach and Hall of Famer, who is also known for pioneering the concept of a live-in tennis academy.

Along with Sharapova, Bollietteri coached many other tennis stars in their formative years, including the likes of Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Martina Hingis, Monica Seles, and the Williams sisters. Ten of his students ended up attaining the World No. 1 ranking at some point in their careers and Sharapova was one of them.

The five-time Grand Slam singles champion shared a lovely old picture with Bollettieri and thanked him for his kindness, for welcoming her into his home and academy as a kid, and for allowing her to pursue tennis to the best of her ability. Sharapova also lauded the former American coach's "rare" commitment to his students.

"You turned on the gymnasium lights at 5am with the brightest (&whitest!) smile. You opened the door to your home, the grounds on which you gave us the freedom to pour our hearts and sweat on. The scoreboard never dictated your commitment to show up for us. Boy is that rare!" Maria Sharapova wrote on Twitter.

Maria Sharapova first met Nick Bollettieri when she was just six years old after Martina Navratilova advised Sharapova's parents that she should obtain professional tennis training at Bollettieri's academy. What was back then known as the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy went on to become the world-famous IMG Academy, where many top players still go to train.

"Can’t think of any other coaches that have really made that strong impact on my life" - Maria Sharapova on Nick Bollettieri

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Maria Sharapova once spoke about the highly positive impact that Nick Bollettieri had on her life and career. In light of Bollettieri's passing, a video from earlier this year surfaced where the Russian tennis superstar was seen speaking about her former coach's great contribution. Sharapova highlighted Bollettieri's monumental efforts in her tennis career, saying that he really cared about all the players and their families under his wing and not just those who he felt had natural talent.

The 35-year-old further stated that Bollettieri's impact on her was greater than any other coach or mentor.

"The impact that Nick Bollettieri had on me, my family, and so many of my closed ones was immense," Sharapova said in an interview.

"He would always make the greatest efforts and it wasn’t because I was a great tennis player. It was because he really cared about those individuals. Can’t think of any other people, coaches, or mentors throughout my career that have really made that strong impact on my life," she added.

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