Maria Sharapova said there was a time when she realized she was “ultimately an entertainer” and from that moment the Russian tried to every moment on the court turn into something positive. Sharapova, who was just 17 when she won her first Grand Slam title at 2004 Wimbledon, quickly became one of the most popular players in the game.
At a very young age, Sharapova achieved major success and she was probably feeling it was all about wins and titles. But then a moment came when Sharapova realized there was something bigger than tennis itself as she noticed that many people were exclusively coming to watch her matches because they wanted in live to witness her play tennis.
That’s when Sharapova realized giving those people joy would be the best thing she could do.
Sharapova on connecting with the audience
“I feel like when you’re an athlete you form a connection with people and fans. I realized when I was a little older that ultimately I was an entertainer.
I wasn’t just doing this for myself to win but when I when on to the court and I was having a really bad day, there could be somebody in the audience that was having a bad day themselves. If I could turn that match around and show them on a bad day I was able to win or I was able to improve in front of their eyes, imagine how they’ll go to sleep and think ‘I had a tough day but this athlete in front of thousands of people was able to turn it around and inspired me to do that tomorrow.
That impact you try to forget because there’s a lot of pressure with it but ultimately it’s such a beautiful feeling to have that you can have inspiration on other people,” Sharapova said at the 2023 Cannes Sport Beach Main Stage.
Sharapova, who welcomed her first child last year, retired from pro tennis after the 2020 Australian Open.
