Maria Sharapova Retires at Age 32
Five time Grand Slam Champion Maria Sharapova, in Vanity Fair:
I’m new to this, so please forgive me. Tennis—I’m saying goodbye. ...
Throughout my career, Is it worth it? was never even a question—in the end, it always was. My mental fortitude has always been my strongest weapon. Even if my opponent was physically stronger, more confident—even just plain better—I could, and did, persevere. ...
Looking back now, I realize that tennis has been my mountain. My path has been filled with valleys and detours, but the views from its peak were incredible. After 28 years and five Grand Slam titles, though, I’m ready to scale another mountain—to compete on a different type of terrain.
I only follow tennis to the extent that on certain weekend mornings throughout the year, I become a tennis widower as the Irish Rose becomes fixated on some Grand Slam final from Sydney or London or some place. I know on days like that I will pretty much cease to exist until the tropy presentation. I could say anything, "I broke into the college fund to hire a male escort to come by this afternoon so I can snort huge rails of coke off his abs and then we'll make sweet love," or something, and not get a reaction.
Through the osmosis of sharing a house with a tennis fan for 26 years, I've gained some knowledge. But not enough to speak with much intelligence about more than a handful of the top stars in the sport. So bear with me as I try to pay tribute to one of the greats of our times as she calls it quits at the tender age of 32.
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Maria Sharapova hit the tennis circuit in 2003, which was right around the time Anna Kournikova's career transitioned from "Promising Tennis Star" to "Full Time Model Who Dates Russian Hockey Players and Enrique Eglesias." It's hard for you guys in your 20s to full appreciate how huge Kournikova was back then. In the days that were pre-smartphone but Google image search was already king, she was the crossover It Girl of the sports world. With posters in every high schooler's room and her face on the cover of every fourth issue of Maxim.
What Anna never did was actually win any singles event in her chosen sport. So there was a natural assumption that Maria Sharapova was going to be more of the same. A blonde Russian with movie star charm and the looks of a model in a moisturizer commercial, but who wasn't packing the gear to be an actual winner.
Fortunately, she wasted no time dispelling that doubt. In 2004 at Wimbledon, she defeated defending champ and top seed Serena Williams in what the Washington Post called "the most stunning upset in memory." And kicked off what everyone called "Maria Mania." The next year she went to No. 1 and went on to four more Grand Slam titles and became a staple of the Forbes Celebrity 100 list. As well as making People's list of the "50 Most Beautiful Celebrities," Maxim's "Hottest Athlete in the World" four straight years, and FHM's list of "Most Eligible Bachelorettes." As well as a spread in SI's Swimsuit Issue.
But unfortunately for her and all of us, injuries took their toll. She's been ranked somewhere in the low 300s worldwide and there's no coming back for her. Because time and tide waiteth for no man. Or woman. She's onto a life focused on her business interests and charity work. And as she ends her career, she does so with the respect of a world which will always appreciate all that she accomplished. Plus all that she gave back to her public.
And with that, we pay tribute to one of the all time greats, on and off the court.