On one occasion, Yury was seen just sitting pensive. The old man had repeatedly watched his beloved daughter Masha win various international tournaments. The name Maria Yuryevna Sharapova, better known to the world as Maria Sharapova, has become a world icon for women’s tennis. Beautiful and full of tons of achievements. Maria Sharapova’s greatness has become an inspiration for many young women around the world.

“I’m happy…,” said Yury while remembering his long past journey. His struggle to bring success is what makes Yury happy.

Images of his hometown when he was still living in Nyagan, Siberia, and then marrying Elena, a girl from Gomel in 1986, flashed by one after another. The image of the tiny baby Masha, who was still very weak, was also present in his dreams. He also still remembers when Masha was 4 years old holding a tennis racket for the first time, playing and running around in the park near her house in Sochi on the Black Sea coast.

Yury’s happiness must also be Elena’s happiness, his wife.

It seems to be true what the Russian philosopher and novelist Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky (1821-1881) said about happiness, “Happiness does not lie in happiness itself, but in the success of achieving it.”

Going to the United States: Reckless Capital

“I have to go to the United States,” was Yury’s determination. Yury’s intentions and determination were made.

The name Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida from Martina Navratilova will always be remembered and kept. Yury has only one goal, to get Masha into the tennis school. The man from Nyagan, Siberia, clearly didn’t have enough money for travel to the US with his daughter. But all that is not an obstacle.

Yury tries to borrow some money for travel expenses and to live temporarily in America. Their long-buried dream finally came true, they left for the US dreamland. Yury still remembers very well, that time was 1994 and at that time Masha was still 7 years old. At that time, Elena couldn’t participate because she didn’t get a visa.

Yury and Maria Sharapova’s daily life clearly has to be very economical so that their needs can be met. Elena’s absence from the US has its pluses and minuses. What is certain is that they can save US$ 700.

Yury, who doesn’t speak English at all, doesn’t hesitate to do odd jobs for low wages so he can live with Maria. In an interview, Maria admitted her life’s struggles with her father when starting life in Florida. Yury even worked as a dishwasher in a restaurant.

All this was done so that Maria could enter the academy. Apparently, the bright spot as a result of that hard work seemed to come. There is an IMG sponsor who wants to cover Maria’s costs at the academy amounting to US$ 35,000.

At the age of 9, Maria Sharapova was accepted and entered the Nick Bolletteri Tennis Academy in Florida.

The talent to become a champion and world class player can be seen in Maria’s figure. His progress after joining the academy was very rapid. When she was 13 years old in 2000, Maria managed to win the first title in the women’s tennis tournament, the Eddie Herr Junior International Tennis Championship. Not only that, Maria also won the Rising Star Award.

How is Maria Sharapova’s progress in the world of professional tennis? And how are her activities in the modeling world? Follow Maria Sharapova’s next story .