The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Five-time grand slam winner Maria Sharapova retires from tennis
Maria Sharapova used Vogue and Vanity Fair to announce her retirement, writing in an essay: “Tennis – I’m saying goodbye.”
The five-time grand slam champion and former world number one has struggled with chronic shoulder problems and has slumped to 373 in the rankings.
The 32-year-old wrote: “How do you leave behind the only life you’ve ever known? How do you walk away from the courts you’ve trained on since you were a little girl, the game that you love – one which brought you untold tears and unspeakable joys – a sport where you found a family, along with fans who rallied behind you for more than 28 years?
“I’m new to this, so please forgive me. Tennis – I’m saying goodbye.”
Sharapova will go down as one of the greats – only the Williams sisters have won more slam singles titles among current players – but her impact on court was trumped by her profile off it, with the Russian being the world’s highest-earning female athlete for much of her career.
She made herself a global star by winning Wimbledon aged 17 in 2004 and added the US Open title in 2006 and the Australian Open in 2008 before twice lifting the trophy at Roland Garros, in 2012 and 2014.
Then in 2016 came the bombshell she had failed a doping test for the cardiac drug Meldonium, which had been added to the banned list at the start of that year.
Sharapova was banned for two years, cut to 15 months on appeal. She returned to action in April 2017 but was unable to reach her previous heights, making just one more grand slam quarter-final.
Sharapova was restricted to eight tournaments last year and struck a pessimistic note about her future after losing to Donna Vekic in the first round of the Australian Open in January in what turned out to be the final match of her career.
Sharapova cited August’s US Open, when she lost heavily to Serena Williams in the opening round, as a “final signal”. She wrote: “Thirty minutes before taking the court, I had a procedure to numb my shoulder to get through the match. Shoulder injuries are nothing new for me – over time my tendons have frayed like a string. Just stepping on to the court that day felt like a final victory, when it should have been merely the first step toward victory.
“But, as I embark on my next chapter, I want anyone who dreams of excelling in anything to know doubt and judgment are inevitable. You will fail hundreds of times, and the world will watch you. Accept it. Trust yourself. I promise that you will prevail.”
Sharapova already has a busy life outside of tennis with a number of business interests, including her sweet company, Sugarpova.
Reflecting on her career, she wrote: “In giving my life to tennis, tennis gave me a life. I’ll miss it every day. Looking back, I realise tennis has been my mountain. My path has been filled with valleys and detours, but the views from its peak were incredible.
“After 28 years and five grand slam titles, though, I’m ready to scale another mountain – to compete on a different type of terrain.”