Russian Tennis Star Maria Sharapova Believes She 'Retired at the Right Time'

The five-time Grand Slam champion announced that she was saying goodbye to tennis in February. She became a global star after winning Wimbledon as a 17-year-old in 2004.
Sputnik

Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova, 32, believes that she retired from sports at the right time.

Speaking during an online webinar she held on 12 May in partnership with the Wall Street Journal, Sharapova reflected on her decision.

"In hindsight, [my retirement] was great timing, because I'd be sitting here saying, 'When do I train?', 'What do I train for?' There are so many question marks around sport in general," she said, as quoted by WTA website.

"From my perspective... it's been really nice to have this moment of reflection, to look back at the 28 years of playing this one little sport, and what it meant to me, and recollecting, and also having the chance to form the foundation of the future," Sharapova continued.

Now that she has retired, she has been focusing on her business ventures, including her long-time collaboration with Nike and Evian, as well as on developing her own brand - candy company Sugarpova. During the webinar, Sharapova also shared her aspirations of working in architecture and in wellness facilities at hotels and resorts.

Discuss