Maria Sharapova breaks the hearts of fans by admitting to not missing the sport as she attends the opening day of the US Open 2023
Maria Sharapova talks about her time after retirement and how she has been enjoying paying a visit to the court as a spectator.
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Maria Sharapova in joy after winning a match. (credits: NDTV Sports)
Five-time Grand Slam title winner and also among the very few players to complete a career Grand Slam, Maria Sharapova was seen enjoying herself on the opening day of the US Open.
She was among the crowds watching the top tennis stars compete this year for the title. She also mentioned how much she loves this competition, and Flushing Meadows is the only tournament she has been visiting since her retirement.
Since announcing her retirement way back in 2020, she has been loving her time off the court and being associated with Evian hydration very closely nowadays. In an exclusive interview with the media outlet People, she opened up about her experience as a spectator and how much she likes watching the new generation of stars battle it out for the silverware.
She said, “I love it, I love having an outsider’s perspective. I love watching the new generations unfold, and the sport in general. In fact, I think the US Open is the only tennis event that I’ve been to in person since I retired.”
Continuing his train of thoughts, she further added, “It’s a really special one, with the energy of the crowds there. I’m very happy with where I am at this stage of life. I appreciate what the sport has taught me and where it’s taken me, but I definitely love seeing it from the outside now.”
Throwback to when Maria Sharapova lifted her second Grand Slam title
After announcing her arrival into tennis stardom by winning the Wimbledon Championships way back in 2004 against all odds, beating then-World No. 1 Serena Williams in the final, Maria Sharapova was looking for her second Slam. She finally ended her two-year wait at the 2006 US Open, putting an end to all her critics who termed her a ‘one-season wonder’.
She entered the tournament as the third seed, winning her first four rounds comfortably in straight sets against Michaella Krajicek, Emilie Loit, Elena Likhovtseva, and Li Na.
In the quarterfinals, she faced a bit of a scare against Tatiana Golovin, winning both sets in a tiebreaker, and it was against Amelie Mauresmo that she dropped her first and only set in the entire tournament, winning the match eventually by 6-0, 4-6, 6-0. In the final, she beat Justine Henin-Hardenne 6-4, 6-4 to lift her second Slam of her career.
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Soumyadeep Mondal
(882 Articles Published)