What links Maria Sharapova and convicted murderer Erik Menendez? All you need to know about duo’s unusual connection

Erik Menendez, and his brother Lyle, are in the spotlight once again due to the renewed interest in their case. The two were convicted of murdering their parents three decades ago.

Now, a review of their case by the officials, and their lives being the subject matter of Ryan Murphy’s show, Monsters, has made them the center of public discourse yet again.

Even though she retired years ago, Maria Sharapova still commands a lot of attention with her business ventures. She hasn’t lost touch with her tennis roots either, and is often spotted at high-profile matches.

The Russian, and Erik Menendez, are from different worlds, yet both of their lives are intertwined due to a common connection.

Michael Joyce is that person in question.

He coached Sharapova for almost seven years, and she won three of her five Major titles with him, and ascended to the top of the rankings.

However, before he turned to coaching, the American had aspirations of becoming a top player himself.

Joyce started his career at the junior level, and during this time he also became friends with Erik Menendez. Together, the duo entered the Boys’ Junior National Tennis Championships in 1989, just two weeks before the brothers would commit the crime.

Menendez advanced to the second round of qualifying, while Joyce made it to the quarterfinals. The latter would peak at No. 64 in the rankings as a professional, and reached the fourth round of Wimbledon as well.

Aside from Sharapova, Joyce also coached the likes of Victoria Azarenka, Jessica Pegula, and Johanna Konta, and currently works with Ashlyn Kruger. However, he tasted his greatest success only with the Russian.

Maria Sharapova brought Michael Joyce on board in the summer of 2004, and they tasted immediate success. She dethroned Serena Williams as the Wimbledon champion that year, her very first Major title. She would also win the US Open in 2006, and the Australian Open in 2008.

Sharapova also won the WTA Finals in 2004, and added seven WTA 1000 titles to her trophy cabinet under the guidance of Joyce. However, 2010 was a rather lean period for her, even with her injury woes.

After nearly seven years of working together, Sharapova then parted ways with Joyce in January 2011. While he has worked with more high-profile players since then, he hasn’t led any of them to Grand Slam glory.