Sharapova says former coach Connors came “at wrong time, wrong place”

Russian tennis superstar Maria Sharapova revealed in an interview with the New York Times that hiring former coach Jimmy Connors after Wimbledon was not one of her best decisions in her career.

“Jimmy came in at the wrong time and in the wrong place,” she said. “I think 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.”