Maria Sharapova has announced a retirement from professional tennis. She penned a heartfelt message on her social handles as confirmation.
The former world no 1 won 5 grand slam championships. At the moment, only Serena and Venus Williams can boast a better record.
Maria’s first victory in Wimbledon came when she was just 17 years old. However, the concluding parts of her career was marred with various injury problems, which led to her falling to 373 in the rankings.
She was banned from tennis in 2016 after she tested positive for drugs. Her ban was to last for two years was later reduced to 15 months. Unfortunately, after returning from the ban she was unable to hit her strides anymore.
“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. Tenis – I’m saying goodbye,” she wrote