Maria Sharapova won all four Grand Slam titles, with her first coming at Wimbledon when she was just 17, but injury and form hampered her career
Maria Sharapova has revealed in a long, heartfelt letter that she has retired from tennis aged 32 due to long-term injury struggles.
The Russian ace burst onto the scene as a 17-year-old when she won Wimbledon in 2004, just the third tournament win of her career.
She went on to win the Australian Open and the US Open once, as well as the French Open twice, with her total career titles tallying up to an impressive 36.
She wrote for Vogue and Vanity Fair: “How do you leave behind the only life you’ve ever known? How do you walk away from the courts you’ve trained on since you were a little girl, the game that you love—one which brought you untold tears and unspeakable joys—a sport where you found a family, along with fans who rallied behind you for more than 28 years?
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“I’m new to this, so please forgive me. Tennis — I’m saying goodbye.”
Detailing exactly why she has come to this decision, Sharapova admits that injuries have gotten the better of her over the years, with shoulder surgeries limiting her involvement on court and her form.
“There is no mastering tennis—you must simply keep heeding the demands of the court while trying to quiet those incessant thoughts in the back of your mind.
“Listening to this voice so intimately, anticipating its every ebb and flow, is also how I accepted those final signals when they came.