Agassi and Sharapova combine art with heart

Grand old man and 16-year-old girl face Wimbledon armed with Bollettieri creed of discipline, responsibility and effort

I've been to the Super Bowl, the World Series, college basketball's Final Four and, to quote Dr Martin Luther King Jnr, I've been to the mountain top. But, in my opinion, none can compare to a fortnight at Wimbledon.

The ride in from the airport, the signs on the highway, the excitable cabbies: I love every minute. The hallowed grass, groomed all year for a two-week event, sits in awesome wonder awaiting the start of play. Will it rain? Will Boris be there? What about Ginny? How about the Queen? The questions rattle down like Andy Roddick serves. That's part of the whole attraction. It all adds up to one very special event.

I know what it's like to be at the heart of it. I've had the rare opportunity to saddle my charges in both the main locker-rooms, where security is tighter than the White House. I've had great enjoyment in seeing students from my Academy travel to London and compete. It was thrilling, truly thrilling, in 1992 to sit courtside and watch Andre Agassi win.

So, of course, I'm going to be fascinated by whatever happens in this year's tournament. But I'll be taking a special interest in two players who've come through my Academy (the NBTA) in Bradenton, Florida.

Andre, the grand old man of 33, is one of them. I'd love to see him win it one more time. To think that he used to say that grass was only for cows!

Maria Sharapova, just turned 16, is the other I'll be watching for. She's not a rookie at Wimbledon - she made the girls' final last year - but this is a chance to show the progress she's making.

Andre and Maria both embody the guiding principles of the Bollettieri creed: discipline, responsibility and effort. It wasn't always that way with Andre but we'll come back to that.

Our goal is to help every student reach their full potential, on and off the court. We build champions but we also build people, developed in all walks of life. Success is not accidental. It takes years of detailed planning, monitoring and goal setting, physically and mentally, specific to each individual, to make that happen. We just ask for effort, determination and commitment.

Andre began his tennis studies under the direction of his father, Mike, who hung a tennis ball on a rope over his baby carriage to encourage him to hit it. He always wanted him to hit the ball with all his might. He did, hard, and grew up continuing to do so. That's what has made it possible for Andre to hit out big shots instead of just getting the ball back in play.

Andre was 13 when I took a call from Mike. "He's got the ability to be a champion but I need someone to help him reach his goal," he told me. Andre was a little out of control. I said I'd give him a 50 per cent discount and he sent me a cheque for three months' tuition. It took me a few minutes of our first session to see Andre really was very, very special in so many ways. I returned Mike Agassi's cheque and gave Andre a full scholarship. He proceeded to challenge all the rules of the academy and later all the conventions of the tour.

Most of the seasoned pros didn't take to this young guy with long hair, flashy clothing and endorsement contracts that didn't bear much relation to his results. At one of his first ATP Tournaments, located in Washington, he lost very badly to a seasoned pro. I left the coaches' box to meet him and discuss the match. He was nowhere to be seen. When I finally found him he was in a wooded park area, breaking all of his rackets.

He told me he didn't believe in himself. I told him there was no time clock on succeeding and that he'd make it. The very next week he made a major breakthrough in Stratton Mountain, Vermont, beating Tim Mayotte in the semis and losing to John McEnroe in the final.

Then he began to set the world on fire both on and off court. Two finals in the French Open, Davis Cup star and a win at Wimbledon in 1992. In 1993, I began to feel my presence on Andre's team had reached a point of diminishing returns. After 10 years of not only being a coach but a second father I departed from his team by sending just a letter. It was a major mistake on my part and caused a severe split in our friendship. Fortunately, we are now speaking together on most friendly terms, both of us knowing we were so close.

Andre's career has taken some downs and big ups since then, first working with Brad Gilbert then Gil Reyes, who made Andre something special. The second phase of his career is a model of excellence. He has the ability never to break down on the court. He's relentless with his consistent, heavy spin balls. He has the best return of service in the history of the game. He controls the court by his position inside the baseline. His footwork and balance is second to none. He never gives up.

As for Maria, she's really just starting out. She began training at the NBTA aged nine and remained under my tutelage for almost six years. In the past two years her father, Yuri, has solicited help from two NBTA coaches, Peter McCraw and Mauricio Hadad, and she's also trained with Robert Lansdorp in California. Mr Sharapova is very intelligent and has learned the nuances of coaching while at the Academy.

Maria's assets are fierce determination, absolute focus on each point, great feet, movement, balance and competitiveness. And she's excelled at accepting coaching as it relates to technique, fitness, and strategy. She's an agent's dream and her drive and ambition can make her a big noise beyond her trademark grunting. I hope she enjoys the tournament. Let the games begin.