Maria Sharapova's most beloved fans also are her toughest critics.
The website Russia Beyond The Headlines wrote a season recap for the world's No. 2 player, who moved up from No. 4 at the start of the year, yet whose critique was less than flattering about the 2014 performance of the Nyagan, Russia native.
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"Her results were average, but after a five-month hiatus, it was good just to be back in a tournament atmosphere," RBTH.com wrote.
Sharapova won her fifth career Grand Slam event, the 2014 French Open, to cap a dominant clay-court season in which she also won in Stuttgart, Germany, and Madrid. But her limited success after Roland Garros was not lost on the website report.
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"However, after the triumph in Paris the Russian was not able to consolidate her success. At Wimbledon, she managed to get only as far as the fourth round, while at the U.S. Open, Sharapova lasted only till the start of the second week before she was dispatched by a ferocious Caroline Wozniacki."
The website lamented her continued inability to conquer Serena Williams as Williams extended her winning streak to 15 matches over Sharapova.
RBTH.com quoted former Russian men's player Andrei Cherkasov as blaming new coach Sven Groeneveld for Sharapova's inability to turn in a more productive 2014.
"Maria has had a mixed season: On the one hand, she has won Roland Garros and big tournaments in Madrid, Stuttgart and Beijing. On the other, apart from clay courts, she has practically had no other wins and she has once again been beaten by Serena, that is, in effect, she is just where she was before," Cherkasov said. "In addition, the poor results at the WTA Tour Final, where Masha failed to get beyond the group stage and played nervous tennis, makes one wonder whether Sven Groeneveld is the coach that Sharapova needs or whether perhaps he is just a celebrity tennis specialist."
Russian national women's tennis coach and former U.S. Open semifinalist Anna Chakvetadze said she thinks Sharapova can overcome what she called the "Williams Jr. complex," but only because Williams is 33 and in the twilight of her career.
Sharapova has said her goal for 2015 is to win more Grand Slams and not necessarily wrest the No. 1 ranking away from Williams. The Russian response will be interesting to note if Sharapova wins a major next year but still finishes No. 2.
Do you think Maria Sharapova had an "average" year in 2014? Comment below or tell us @SportsWN
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