"Carlos Alcaraz does it very often, Jannik Sinner does it less" - Maria Sharapova makes her feelings known on on-court coaching

Hall of Fame tennis legend Maria Sharapova recently appeared on The David Rubenstein Show, where she touched upon several topics, including on-court coaching.

There is a lingering debate among tennis circles about whether on-court coaching should be allowed or the player should be left on his own once the match starts. Sharapova shared her point of view by sharing examples of World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and four-time Grand Slam champion Jannik Sinner.

"It depends on how the match is going," Sharapova said (20:54). "There are a few times where I would tell my coach it's enough. But yeah, I mean, the stress of the situation, I think, guides the communication between the player and the coach. Some players love it -- they openly communicate with their coaches. I know Alcaraz does it very often, whereas others, I think Sinner does it less often."

Maria Sharapova herself has had a hard time receiving coaching during her matches. In the 2007 Australian Open, she was even fined for receiving illegal coaching during the match.

Maria Sharapova has a personal favorite between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz

Maria Sharapova has admired both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz for their elite status as top ranked stars. However, she has a soft spot for one of them.

The Russian star has previously said that she is "always rooting for" Sinner, mostly due to the Italian's humble approach towards the sport.

"You know, the last coach of my career coached Sinner for several years, so I got to play with him a few times. So, you know, I'm always rooting for him. I just like his humble approach to the sport," she said on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis podcast.

In a separate interview from June 2023, Sharapova shared her take on both Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. She first praised Alcaraz, even citing comparisons to former Spaniard and 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal.

“Carlos is incredible," she said via La Gazzetta dello Sport. "What strikes me about him is his fighting spirit on every point. He can put on a show and ignite the audience every time he steps on the court. I am curious to see where he can go over the course of his career. I think in the beginning the comparisons to Rafa were inevitable, but he is developing his own style and personality and that will make him a unique player."

Meanwhile, she likes Sinner's humbleness along with his fluid tennis style. She added:

“I know Jannik well enough. He is a serious and humble guy. I like his fluid and powerful style, it almost looks like he doesn’t struggle, but actually there is a lot of effort behind his game. I think he has reached a good level of tennis, but now I hope he is also ready to win. His fans have been waiting for his triumph for a long time already."

Sinner himself has shown her admiration back to Sharapova, given they both practiced together on the courts. During his interview with Tennis Channel in 2023, Sinner also said that it would be a dream to play doubles with Sharapova as her partner.