Maria Sharapova teases tennis fans with retirement U-turn...but only for video game release

Although she hung up her racket in 2020, Maria Sharapova will be returning to the tennis courts.....as a playable character in the newly-released tennis video game, TopSpin 2k25.

The Russian dynamo joins an already impressive roster of playable characters in the flagship video game which was released on Friday. Sharapova will join the likes of Serena Williams, Coco Gauff, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Ben Shelton and Daniil Medvedev, who are all playable characters in the game.

The five-time Grand Slam champion has been promoting the game on her social media channels. Fans online are buzzing about the former World No.1's portrayal in the game, as her character has plenty of unique strengths, making her a popular choice for the game's online, multiplayer mode.

"The world tour [is] full of Sharapovas," joked a fan on Twitter.

Sharapova herself took to social media to join in on the fun. The 37-year old responded to promotional material by the TopSpin Twitter account, hinting she might be forced to come out of retirement.

"Coming out of retirement for this one 😉," teased the retired Russian tennis star.