Five-time major winner Sharapova retires
BERLIN Maria Sharapova, the Russian five-time Grand Slam champion who became one of the highest-paid sportswomen in the world, announced the end of her career on Wednesday at age 32.
Siberia-born Sharapova, whose Wimbledon victory over Serena Williams in 2004, aged 17, propelled her to superstardom and riches, broke the news in an article for magazine Vanity Fair.
“I’m new to this, so please forgive me. Tennis — I’m saying goodbye,” Sharapova, whose rags to riches story captivated the sporting world but turned sour when she was banned for doping, wrote in a farewell article.
Her decision to quit is hardly a major surprise as she has been a pale imitation of her former self since returning in 2017 from the 15-month ban for taking prohibited heart drug meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open.
The former world No. 1 has played only two matches this year, losing in the first round of the Australian Open, with her ranking sliding to 373.
“Looking back now, I realize that tennis has been my mountain. My path has been filled with valleys and detours, but the views from its peak were incredible,” she said.
Sharapova, whose trademarks were her ferocious intensity and pounding groundstrokes, completed her career Grand Slam when she won the French Open in 2012. She also won at Roland Garros again in 2014, her last major title.
She became the first Russian woman to reach No. 1 in the rankings in 2005 and claimed the U.S. Open title in 2006. She also won the Australian Open in 2008.
But injuries, especially her shoulder, blighted her career.
A torn rotator cuff in 2008 required surgery and she was out for six months, dropping her outside the top 100. Showing the tenacity that marked her career, she battled back though and her two French Open titles on a clay court surface she once loathed earned Sharapova admiration.
Her career took a dark turn in 2016. After an 18th consecutive defeat by Serena Williams, in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, Sharapova failed an anti-doping test and was initially banned for two years by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).
Sharapova claimed she had not realized that meldonium, which she said she had taken for health issues throughout her career, had been added to the banned list.