© Joe Scarnici / Stringer Getty Images Sport
Maria Sharapova is keeping in shape with hard training, after giving birth to her first child, and many former colleagues and insiders are buzzing about her imminent return on the tennis court. The beautiful and strong former Siberian legend has recently become the mother of her firstborn Theodore, born from her relationship with the British businessman Alexander Gilkes.
The former Russian tennis player, 5-time Slam champion, officially retired from the circuit in February 2020, close to the stop due to the Covid 19 pandemic.
Her choice immediately seemed definitive, with Sharapova preferring to dedicate herself to the world of entrepreneurship.
In a recent interview with former colleague Andrea Petkovic, star of the 2010s, in the latest episode of The Rennae Stubbs Podcast, the former number one responded to her question about his possible romantic return to the circuit.
Sharapova on the court: just a suggestion?
The former Russian champion explained that she has no intention of joining the growing list of players who have returned to the sport after maternity leave, last but not least the Danish Caroline Wozniacki and the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, capable of reaching the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the Roland Garros.
Sharapova praised her colleagues who managed to return to the WTA circuit: “I don’t know how they do it, I don’t see it in my future” said the former Russian tennis player. Sharapova then added: “I like to see where these athletes start from , where they came from.
How did they get there? What work did they do? Who helped them? How did things come together?”
The former Russian tennis player concluded her interview with a comparison between tennis and the business world: “I see a lot of similarities and in business I like to understand how these puzzles align and sometimes you want them to align and you do everything you can, but this doesn’t happen.
It’s just like that and then you have to go back to the drawing board and yeah, but I love, I love taking a step back. I like to see how the players train, I like to see how they do their job.” After these words, one can understand why the Russian tennis player intends not to return to the court.
Gone hopes. At least for now. The fact that Sharapova has now uttered these words does not exclude a change of heart and, perhaps, a last year among the professionals, to give a further great closure to her glorious career.
