Maria Sharapova has finished her career. What will the former tennis player do now?

“How do you leave behind the only life you’ve ever known? How do you walk away from the courts you’ve practiced on since you were a kid, from the game you love. The game that gave you tears and joy. A sport where you found a family and fans that have been behind you for over 28 years. This is new to me, so please forgive me. Tennis, I say goodbye” – with these words the famous Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova announced the end of her professional career.

Many victories and awards, which undoubtedly put her in the pantheon of the best tennis players in the world. Maria Sharapova is one of the ten women in history who possesses the so-called “career slam”. This means that she has won all the Grand Slam tournaments, but in different years. However, the tennis star’s glittering career has come to an end. We assume what the famous sportswoman will do now.

Development of her own brand

In August 2012, an international presentation of Sugarpova sweets took place in New York. Since then, the brand of Maria Sharapova became known all over the world. The Russian tennis player has never hidden her love for sweets. She managed to turn this feeling into a profitable business.

The sale of chewy candies began in the United States in August, and only in the first three days, according to Sharapova’s agent Max Eisenbad, 250 thousand packages of sweets were sold. Maria is not only the founder and owner, but also the creative director of the brand. She participates in the formation of the assortment and product design, comes up with and draws sketches of sweets.

Perhaps, in the near future Maria will please fans of sweets with one more interesting product. After all, in addition to candy production, Sharapova is fond of baking lactose-free and gluten-free pp-pies.

Charity work

Among top athletes, charity has long been considered a good tone. The Maria Sharapova Foundation was founded in 2007. The organization chose the direction of activity not by chance. A few months before Maria’s birth, the tennis player’s parents left their hometown of Gomel, which was affected by the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Years later Sharapova began to help young people from the regions that were at the center of the disaster.

In 2005, the tennis player won the WTA World Championship. For winning the tournament Maria received a new Porsche car, which she sold at auction. Sharapova donated $ 54 thousand to the fund to help children of Beslan.

Two years later, the athlete became a Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Development Program. Of the eight Millennium Development Goals Sharapova was assigned to work on the elimination of poverty. At a ceremony at the UN headquarters, the athlete reported a donation of $ 100 thousand dollars, which she made through her foundation. The funds were used to help eight youth projects in Chernobyl-affected areas of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. We hope that Maria and now will not stop doing charity work.

Personal life

Previously, there were many rumors and speculations around Sharapova’s personal life. Finally, on October 19, 2018, the tennis player dispelled the shadows of doubts. She published in her Instagram account a photo of British millionaire Alexander Gilkes, a close friend of Prince Harry himself. Maria confirmed that she is in a romantic relationship with the man.

Alex, it seems, could very well make up Mariah’s real happiness. They started dating at the beginning of 2018. The British man is good-looking, rich, loves Russia and even speaks our language. Let’s hope that this romance for Sharapova will turn out to be a happy one.

From today for Maria Sharapova, we can say, a new life begins. Big victories and bitter defeats are behind her. Ahead – an uncharted future, in which the athlete will try to achieve the same unprecedented heights.