Maria Sharapova: "The retirement? It was a tough process to manage"

Maria Sharapova, after the Australian Open 2020, announced, through a letter published in Vogue, her retirement from tennis, after a legendary career, made up of many successes, popularity and some small falls, such as injuries and the disqualification for doping of the 2016.

The five-time Grand Slam winner talked about how tennis was experiencing in the last few months before her retiring, via an interview with Inc. She said: "It's a question I have addressed several times over the past few months before announcing my retirement. I realized that I was showing off but now not as a tennis player and I had lost sight of the competition.

It became a hard and difficult process to manage but together with my team I realized that I needed to move on and I could use a many other better and perhaps more meaningful ways. For many years I have concentrated only on this sport and I have given everything by applying and working hard to obtain results. Regardless of everyone's advice, everyone must be aware of their choices and must be certain to 100%: the decision was made in full autonomy and independence."

Maria Sharapova's retirement process and popularity

But Maria Sharapova's popularity continues even after her retirement from professional tennis. For example, it cannot be just a coincidence that according to the official WTA Twitter account, Maria Sharapova ranked 7th in the list of the most tweeted athletes in 2020. The first two places on the list are also occupied by professional tennis players, respectively. Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams.

Sharapova had previously been included in the ratings of the athletes in which Russians have more confidence. Other Russian athletes who enjoy the utmost confidence in Russian society are former individual rhythmic gymnast Lyasan Utiasheva, figure skating coach Tatyana Tarasova and MMA wrestler and heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko.

In the meantime it was the Russian herself, through her social networks, to announce that she and Alexander Gilkes are officially engaged and are planning to unite their love in marriage. Maria Sharapova has been in a relationship with this British businessman since October 2018. It is therefore time to take the next step for Sharapova, who announced her retirement from the world of tennis at the Australian Open last year. Alexander Gilkes, for his part, was born in London in June 1979, is the co-founder of Squared Circles and was the president of Paddle8 from 2011 to 2018, that is until the company was sold.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3aPv2XB