Maria Sharapova announces retirement from tennis
Maria Sharapova has announced her retirement from international tennis at the age of 32, revealing that her "body had become a distraction" due to persistent injuries.
The five-time grand slam champion and former world No 1 has struggled with chronic shoulder problems and has slumped to 373 in the world rankings.
Announcing her decision in Vanity Fair, Sharapova wrote: "I’ve had multiple surgeries - once in 2008; another procedure last year - and spent countless months in physical therapy... I share this not to garner pity, but to paint my new reality: My body had become a distraction."
Sharapova will go down as one of the greats of the era - only Serena and Venus Williams have won more slam titles among current players.
But her impact on court was trumped by her profile off it, with the Russian the world's highest-earning female athlete for much of her career.
She made herself a global star by winning Wimbledon aged 17 in 2004 and added the US Open title in 2006 and the Australian Open in 2008 before twice lifting the trophy at Roland Garros, in 2012 and 2014.
Then in 2016 came the bombshell announcement that she had failed a doping test for the cardiac drug Meldonium, which had been added to the banned list at the start of that year.
Sharapova was banned for two years, reduced to 15 months on appeal. She returned to action in April 2017 but was unable to reach her previous heights, peaking at a high of 21 in the rankings and reaching just one grand slam quarter-final.
She was restricted to eight tournaments last year and struck a pessimistic note about her future prospects after losing in the first round of the Australian Open in January.
Sharapova cited last August's US Open, when she lost heavily to Serena Williams in the opening round, as a 'final signal'.
Reflecting on her career, she said: "Looking back now, I realize that tennis has been my mountain. My path has been filled with valleys and detours, but the views from its peak were incredible. After 28 years and five Grand Slam titles, though, I’m ready to scale another mountain - to compete on a different type of terrain.
"That relentless chase for victories, though? That won’t ever diminish. No matter what lies ahead, I will apply the same focus, the same work ethic, and all of the lessons I’ve learned along the way.
"In the meantime, there are a few simple things I’m really looking forward to: A sense of stillness with my family. Lingering over a morning cup of coffee. Unexpected weekend getaways. Workouts of my choice (hello, dance class!).
"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."
