After winning five Grand Slams and a 15-year career, Maria Sharapova has called it a wrap on her career.
In an essay published in Vogue and Vanity Fair, Sharapova wrote “Tennis — I’m saying goodbye.” Her career began at the age of 14 in 2001, peaking with wins at Wimbledon in 2004, and the US Open in 2006. She also won Australian and French Open titles.
“These courts revealed my true essence. Behind the photo shoots and the pretty tennis dresses, they exposed my imperfections—every wrinkle, every drop of sweat,” Sharapova wrote. “They tested my character, my will, my ability to channel my raw emotions into a place where they worked for me instead of against me. Between their lines, my vulnerabilities felt safe. How lucky am I to have found a kind of ground on which I felt so exposed and yet so comfortable?”
Her last match was a first-round loss in the Australian Open to Croatia’s Donne Vekic in straight sets.
“Throughout my career, Is it worth it? was never even a question — in the end, it always was. My mental fortitude has always been my strongest weapon. Even if my opponent was physically stronger, more confident — even just plain better — I could, and did, persevere.”
Maria Sharapova
Her career ends with a record of 645-171 singles, ESPN reports.