At the age of 32, Maria Sharapova announces her retirement from tennis.
Sharapova: “I’m going to be saying goodbye, tennis.I’m eager to take on a new challenge and fight on a different kind of terrain after 28 years and five Grand Slam victories.
Maria Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam champion, has declared her retirement from tennis at the age of 32.
Due to persistent shoulder issues, the former world No. 1—who won Wimbledon in 2004 at the age of 17—has fallen to 373 in the rankings.
Donna Vekic defeated her in the opening round of this year’s Australian Open in Melbourne, and she had only won three matches since making it to the fourth round of the competition.
Sharapova tested positive for meldonium in 2016, received a two-year ban (which was eventually lowered to 15 months on appeal), and started competing again in April 2017.
After her ban ended, she was only able to advance to one Grand Slam quarterfinal and peak at world No. 21.
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On Wednesday, Sharapova said to Vanity Fair, “Please pardon me; I’m new to this. Tennis: I have to say farewell.
“What is the process of abandoning the only life you have ever known? How can you leave the courts you’ve practiced on since you were a young child, the sport you adore, the one that has brought you indescribable joy and sorrow, a family inside the sport, and supporters that have supported you for over 28 years?
“I’ll miss my daily ritual, which consists of waking up at the crack of dawn, tying my left shoe before my right, and shutting the court’s gate before hitting my first shot of the day.
“I’ll miss my coaches and my squad. I’ll miss our times together sitting on the practice court bench, my father. Win or lose, we shook hands, and the athletes encouraged me to give it my all, whether they realized it or not.
“Upon reflection, I see that tennis has been my biggest challenge. Though there have been many dips and turns in my route, the vistas at the top were breathtaking.
“However, I’m ready to climb another mountain—to compete on a different kind of terrain—after 28 years and five Grand Slam victories.”