Tennis great Maria Sharapova revealed she was “saying goodbye” to tennis in an article in Vanity Fair on this day in 2020.
The former world number one and multi grand slam winner had struggled with shoulder injuries for quite some time before she finally decided it was time to bid farewell to the sport she loves. She slumped to 373rd in the rankings before confirming her retirement with this announcement: “How do you leave behind the only life you’ve ever known?
The announcement was made in a Vanity Fair article where Sharapova further wrote:
“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? I’m new to this, so please forgive me. Tennis – I’m saying goodbye.”
Tennis showed me the world—and it showed me what I was made of. It’s how I tested myself and how I measured my growth. And so in whatever I might choose for my next chapter, my next mountain, I’ll still be pushing. I’ll still be climbing. I’ll still be growing.
