“Felt like the natural thing to do”: Maria Sharapova on what went behind her sudden retirement decision

“Felt like the natural thing to do”: Maria Sharapova on what went behind her sudden retirement decision

Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova

Amongst the various unpredictable run of events that took place in 2020, it was Maria Sharapova’s retirement that shocked everyone in the tennis world. In February 2020, Sharapova announced the sad news of her early retirement from the sport in which she won 5 Grand Slams and was considered one of the best competitors.

Almost nearing a year post that heavy decision of her life, the Russian former player spoke at length about her retirement in a recent podcast.

From making her mind up to convincing her fans and family, the Russian revealed everything that went through her mind at that time.

FS Video

Although she willing to continue, Sharapova highlighted her back injury concerns making it unable to push further as it demanded more effort from her body.

“I had been struggling with a back injury for the last couple of years at least. And it was on and off for a while, I think what was becoming really difficult was to acknowledge how much time I was spending on just getting myself to the competition… I think so much of me because I’m a competitor and I played with a lot of grit,” highlighted Sharapova.

It was not an easy decision: Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova

The former World No.1 revealed that a lot of thought went behind coming to a conclusion with the decision to retire although it felt like a natural thing to do.

“When I made that decision a few weeks before announcing it, it really felt like the natural thing to do… I am not saying it was an easy decision because I actually made sure to spend time thinking about it on my own,” said Sharapova.

Sharapova won her maiden Slam at only 17 years old and then went on to claim four more – two at the French Open and one each at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. Winning 36 titles in total, Sharapova was the first Russian player to top singles ranking for the first time in 2005.

Although, Sharapova said goodbye to tennis, she is doing quite well in the second innings of her life. She has established herself as a successful entrepreneur and is running her candy business efficiently.

Also Read: Maria Sharapova reveals when is the ideal time to quit for a tennis professional