"I don't know how they do it; I don't see that in my future," Maria Sharapova rules out WTA Tour comeback after motherhood

Maria Sharapova commented that she wouldn't return to the WTA Tour after becoming a mother.

The former world No. 1 retired from tennis in 2020 after a 19-year career. In 2016, she received a doping ban for meldonium, a medication she had been using for several years, but she failed to notice when the rules changed that year regarding the acceptance of this medication.

During her return to the WTA Tour, she suffered various injuries that prevented her from playing regularly. Nevertheless, at the age of 30, she managed to win her 36th title in 2017 at the Tianjin Open, which turned out to be the last of her career.

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Since retiring, Sharapova has focused on her career as a speaker and entrepreneur, investing in brands like Therabody, Moonpay, Clio Snacks, among others. Additionally, the 5-time Grand Slam champion and her fiancé, British entrepreneur Alexander Gilkes, announced in April 2023 that Sharapova was pregnant and welcomed their first child, Theodore, in July.

Sharapova discussed the topic on The Rennae Stubbs Podcast with Andrea Petkovic and responded to a comment from the German player about the many tennis players who have become mothers and returned to the WTA Tour:

"I don't know how they do it"I don't know how they do it; I don't see that in my future," Sharapova declared about a potential comeback.

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Earlier this year, 29-year-old Elina Svitolina returned to the tour after welcoming her daughter Skai with her husband Gael Monfils. The Ukrainian reached the quarterfinals of the French Open, the semifinals of Wimbledon, and won the Estrasburgo Open, quickly rising to world No. 24 within a few months.

More recently, former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki made her comeback at the Canadian Open and surprised with her strong performance at the US Open, just three weeks after her return.

She reached the quarterfinals, including victories over 11th seed Petra Kvitova and former Australian Open finalist Jennifer Brady, before falling to eventual champion Coco Gauff in three sets.

Other tennis players who have returned to the WTA Tour after becoming mothers include Victoria Azarenka, Serena Williams, Tatjana Maria, Barbora Strycova, and Taylor Townsend.