July 15, 2013 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg
After parting with Thomas Hogstedt, Maria Sharapova has announced on her Web site that she has hired Jimmy Connors to be her new coach. Connors is an eight-time major champion who coached Andy Roddick for two years. He worked with Sharapova for a short time before the 2008 Australian Open.
The second-ranked Sharapova decided to find a new coach after Hogstedt informed her that he wouldn’t be capable of traveling in the near future. He coached Sharapova for almost three years.
Sharapova will also begin her U.S. Open series campaign at the Rogers Cup in Toronto. The Toronto event begins on Aug. 5 and Maria will be making her sixth appearance at the Rogers Cup which alternates each year between Toronto and Montreal. Maria’s best result was reaching the final in 2009.
