Maria Sharapova has revealed that retiring from tennis was not a last-minute decision, saying she spent years preparing for life after the sport.
The five-time Grand Slam champion explained that she always knew a tennis career had an expiration date, which is why she started building her future long before announcing her retirement in 2020.
“I recognized from an early age that as a woman, my career would end much sooner than in other professions. I was like, ‘I’ve got to hustle. I’ve got to start learning from other people.'”
Instead of seeing injuries and breaks from the tour as setbacks, Sharapova turned them into opportunities to learn.
She said she attended business school, completed internships and even spent time shadowing NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
“When I was injured, or I had a break, I’d go to a business school… I would take internships. I went to the NBA for a few weeks to shadow Adam Silver.”
Sharapova also began investing while she was still competing, believing those decisions would help her build a successful career beyond tennis.
Looking back, she said personal growth away from the court was just as important as her success on it.
“There are elements of growth that even though you’re progressing in one arena, I thought it was really critical and important to help grow in others.”
Sharapova retired from professional tennis in 2020 after winning five Grand Slam singles titles and spending years among the sport’s biggest stars.
