WATCH: 15-year-old Sharapova discusses her goals and future

Nick Bollettieri believes that true champions are born, not made. One of his reasons for believing this is his former star pupil, Maria Sharapova.

In 2002, Tennis Channel sat down with a 15-year-old Sharapova to discuss her goals and blossoming career. She revealed that Martina Navaratilova spotted her at an exhibition in Moscow when she was just a child. Navratilova told her she had serious talent, spurring the Sharapovas to move to the United States and train at the Nick Bolletieri Tennis Academy, known today as part of the IMG Academy.

When asked how she'd know if she's ready to turn pro, Sharapova answered, “It depends how my body and game develop.”

When asked about her favorite surface to play on, she revealed that she still had never played on grass. She’d go on win Wimbledon two years later.

The 15-minute video is worth the watch, and even brought Sharapova to tears.

Sharapova would go on to win five Grand Slams and become world No.1, while being the most marketable female athlete in the world for most of her career. Although the back end of her career was marred by a failed drug test in 2016, no one can deny Sharapova's huge impact on women's tennis, and sports in general.