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Newlyfound clay-court master
I’m absolutely convinced that such fighting spirit was the determining factor in the most surprising metamorphosis of her career, a metamorphosis few would have bet their money on, e.g. her adaptation to clay courts. After winning the Championships and the two hardcourt Slams, Sharapova had grievous shoulder issues, undergoing surgery in 2008 – that’s when things changed. After a tough recovery, Masha had lost effectiveness on her serve, and she had to limit the execution of the reverse forehand (hit with the follow-through over the head), a shot that she heavily relied on early in her career.
But instead of initiating a precocious decline, Sharapova managed to re-invent herself in the early 2010s, to the point of almost becoming a clay-court specialist. The earlier Maria had found little to no satisfaction on the surface, but after the recovery it became her favoured battleground, with two French Open triumphs and further silverware in Madrid and Rome. Till 2010, she had never won a tournament on clay; from then onwards, she won 10 of her remaining 15 trophies on the surface.
It’s likely that some of her success was aided by the decline and/or retirement of a few great clay-court specialists (especially that of Justine Henin). With a depleted competition, Sharapova was the readiest to take advantage. However, her outstanding mental strength was a decisive factor as well, since on clay the ability to suffer and fight is more relevant than on faster surfaces.
In light of such an unexpected turn, it’s clear that the technical and tactical model that Sharapova implemented was actually less replicable than it could appear superficially, because, as basic and easy to dissect as her game was, it was turned into a winning machine by an almost inimitable strength of will, and that’s what really made a difference for her.
