Posted on 02/29/2020 7:22:35 AM PST by L.A.Justice
Five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova has announced her retirement.
"Tennis -- I'm saying goodbye," she wrote in an essay that appeared Wednesday in Vogue and Vanity Fair.
Sharapova turned pro in 2001 at age 14. She won Wimbledon in 2004, the US Open in 2006, the Australian Open in 2008 and the French Open in 2012 and 2014. She is one of only six women in the professional era to win each major tennis title at least once. She made 10 Grand Slam finals in all, going 5-5.
For a while, Sharapova was as big a star as her sport had, earning many more millions of dollars in sponsorship deals than she did on the court.
The 32-year-old Russian reached No. 1 in the WTA rankings in 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2012, but she has dropped to No. 373. She lost in the first round of this year's Australian Open to Croatia's Donna Vekic in straight sets. She played only two matches this season and lost both.
(Excerpt) Read more at espn.com ...
I’m going to miss Maria a lot.
I loved her determination. Shame she messed up her shoulder early in her career.... or she would have had more than 5 slams.
For a good while, Maria pulled in more endorsement money than Serena Williams.
Who likes her more, you or Martina?
Martina really licked her opponents.
She took them down on the carpet.
Oh, she played tennis too?
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