Mary Pierce played professional tennis in one of the most remarkable epochs in the history of women’s tennis. Their rivals were Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, who took 35 majors into account. (Graf-22, Seles-9, Sanchez-Vicario-4) Despite this rough competition, Pierce was able to do two main title die Australian Open from 1995 and the French Open from 2000-duke and at the same time four second-placed people at Majors (1994 and 2004 French, 1997, Australian, 2005 US Open). She won 18 career -singles, 10 career -double titles (including the 2000 French Open) and also helped France to win two Fed Cup titles for a career that has received its entry into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
The legendary coach Rick Macci worked with Pierce for a certain time and profiled her in his book “Macci Magic! Extract size of yourself and others” (available here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1937559254/ref=cm.
I saw Mary Pierce playing tennis for the first time when she was 12 years old. She had very good compact strokes. The forehand and the backhand were very solid and she would be a strong girl, so I knew from the ground that she would have firepower when she went on the pro tour. Your sporting ability was fine. It wasn’t out of the charts, but it would not be a disadvantage. Your surcharge could be developed. This was probably when she was about 15 years old when I was Beach in Delray and Venus and Serena were 11 and 12.
The Pierces decided to leave the IMG Academy because they felt that they did not get enough attention. I spoke to Mary’s father Jim and worked out an arrangement in which I got a place of residence to life, and she was able to train at the academy and I would give her a blank partner. And at some point we would work out a deal so that I could help her more and more and she could play out of the academy. She started to deal with the Pro tour at the age of 16 and played around 25,000 US dollars tournaments and around $ 50,000 tournaments.
What I really liked about Mary was the power she had. She didn’t withdraw at all. She took the ball early. Their earth strikes were very compact on both sides. Basically, she only knocked the crap out of the ball! Full throttle! I think you could say piercing, but I won’t say that.
But for me it was very obvious that Jim was very controlling and he really lived through his daughter. The mother hardly said a word and Mary hadn’t had much to say and brother David was pretty young at the time, so he was just somehow at the academy and hit balls. It was really Jim and he would do a few exercises with her. I remember a drill called Colombian suicide exercises in which he would throw her balls. I have no idea what the advantage of it was, but he felt good. But Jim is a good guy. He wanted to have control like most fathers, but he couldn’t hit the ball and really didn’t have the idea of the technical part or the strategic part. But like most of these fathers, they want the loan and that was okay. I just wanted to help her and she was a great girl. But even when she was 16, I knew that she would not be Venus or Serena Williams, even though they were only 11 and 10 and small children. Nobody thought that Venus and Serena were good at a young age, they only saw mistakes and they only saw what they wanted to see. Remember that there is an art of really evaluating talents, and only a few have this vision and can feel the future.
Nothing would make me take the ball out of the ball with Venus and Serena, even though I had this girl who is 16 years old and she starts to hit people in 80, 90, 100 in the world. I had a coach of the academy to tour with her, so we really tried to help her in this situation. Whenever I had a chance, I had spent time with her and worked with her. But what is more important, the environment because I spent so much time with the Williams Girls. Then, when we wanted to conclude a contract – I will never forget it – Jim went to IMG and you prepared a contract and in the contract it said if I wanted to say Mary something, I have to say Jim first, then he would say Mary. And I said, “You have to kid me.” I don’t even think I read the rest of it. I just collapsed it and shot a 10-foot leap into the garbage can (made. Basketball days, Greenville, Ohio) and said: “You can practice here and whatever you want to do is fine. I wanted to help everyone, and what is even more important, my main focus was on Venus and Serena. If I really wanted to go beyond something, I didn’t have to deal with it.
We just helped them. And then I said to Jim: “Since we don’t have to do the deal that you do not have to worry about your own condominium. Your daughter is now starting to make some money.” That didn’t fit so well with him. He was a little angry about it. But that’s how it is.
I remember one day, a little later, at 7 a.m. in Delray on the pitch. They lived on the fifth floor in the tennis resort of the old Laver, where they have these high -rise buildings, and I hear an argument up there. Suddenly I see clothes fly through the air as the punch partner and I wait for the pitch. I think there was an argument or something, and it was just interesting to see all of these things. Fifteen minutes later Mary comes down and she feels bad and apologizes and gives me a note that apologizes. It was embarrassed for her what happened. She was such a sweet child, but very mentally strong. I really admired this quality. I have the feeling that I have probably contributed to conveying this attribute, and Mary contributed to making a better player.
I said to Jim: “Listen, I know you have driven a lot of things into her, but you don’t want to go away from you because you never know what will happen at 18.” And behold, at the age of 18 the whole thing turned wrong and she didn’t want to go around. That was unfortunate because Jim is a good guy and I like him and it was more about him and a strong ego. Jim did a great job to bring her to where she arrived. She won the French Open in 2000 and the Australian Open in 2005 and was third in 1995.
As for the forehand and the backhand, Jennifer Capriati is number 1 and Mary Pierce No. 1-A. Mary was right behind her. I saw how she brought Steffi Graf and many people to the wooden shed who played directly through her. They talk about someone who could only destroy them with raw strength. Mary could also do that on Clay. If she is fearless and is on a mission, you talk about someone who could only play someone with relentless strength. Wow!
It was not a long relationship with Mary, although Jim stayed there for four or five years. But Mary was a great child and earned everything that came in her way. I think if she had a little more intelligent coaching and a little better sportiness and really learned to change the pace and cut the ball, in connection with this power, she could even have played another level. She had a great career and just like Jennifer Capriati, she could overwhelm everyone if she was confident. Because she was stone on both the forehand and on the backhand side and because she took the ball early, she will be able to dictate matches on her conditions. If you play someone like this, you have to be careful because he could beat anyone, anytime, anytime, anywhere. But if they are not elected, it could be difficult and sometimes Mary’s phone didn’t work!
Looking back at work with her and helping her, even though she was a professional and I had the feeling that she had written the top -10 overall in her. I knew that these two younger warriors from Compton, California could cross the game. My loyalty or my true commitment, if I had to go beyond the obligation, would always be together with Venus and Serena.
