“I’m starting to get nervous.” Sharapova announced her long-awaited return

Three years ago, Maria Sharapova said goodbye to the sport. After a series of failures and numerous injuries, the athlete decided to put the racket aside and start a new stage of life.

The Russian woman has achieved success not only in business, but also in her personal life. Now the tennis superstar is ready to return to the court to fight for another title.

“Tennis, I say goodbye to you”

The last time Sharapova took to the court was in 2020 at the Australian Open, where she lost to 23-year-old Croatian Donna Vekic in the first round. And a month after the offensive defeat, the tennis player left words on the paper of a large glossy magazine that she was ending her professional career.

– How to leave behind the only life you knew? How do you walk away from the courts where you trained since you were a child, away from the game you loved and which brought so many silent tears and indescribable joy – a sport where you found family and fans who have supported you for more than 28 years? I’m new to this, so forgive me. Tennis, I say goodbye to you,” the tennis player wrote on the pages of Vanity Fair.

In general, Maria’s decision to leave the sport was not sensational or unexpected. After a 15-month disqualification for using meldonium, the Russian woman tried to return to her previous level, easily receiving a wild card into the main draw of any tournament, but she was not able to show her previous results. Sharapova could not get her game going: due to a shoulder injury, she lost her serve, and her shots were no longer as powerful as before. And the pain from constant injuries caused the former first racket of the world great inconvenience.

And outside of sports, Sharapova had multimillion-dollar advertising contracts, social events, her own business and simple female happiness next to her loved one. And Maria gave up tennis, moving to a new, incredibly intriguing stage of life.

“I can’t wait to see you fans there.”

The last three years have been successful and fruitful for Sharapova. The tennis player gave birth to a son from British millionaire Alexander Gilkes and significantly increased the income of her sweets production company. During this time, Maria had plenty of rest from professional sports and is now ready to return to the court. Only now the star will play not tennis, but its variation – pickleball. A mixture of tennis, table tennis and badminton is rapidly gaining popularity in many countries, primarily in the USA.

In February 2024, Sharapova will compete in mixed doubles with the famous tennis player John McEnroe for $1 million at the Pickleball Slam 2 tournament with other tennis legends Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi.

Maria Sharapova / Photo: © Matthew Ashton / Contributor / Corbis Sport / Gettyimages.ru

— I’m playing pickleball, and not just any pickleball: I’m playing a duet with John McEnroe against Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi on February 4 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. It’s Pickleball Slam 2 and dare I say I’m starting to get a little nervous and anxious. But never mind – I can’t wait to see you fans there. Tune in, follow, support us. Let’s be a team,” Sharapova said in a video posted on her social networks.

The tournament will begin on February 2 in Miami. Anyone can not only attend the match, but also watch its video broadcast. Fans are already dreaming that Maria will not limit herself to playing pickleball with veterans and will soon resume her career in professional tennis. Photos of the Russian woman on social networks only add optimism to her fans, because Sharapova works hard in the gym and is in excellent shape.