Sharapova Retires From Professional Tennis, Expects to Continue Endorsement Deals
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Maria Sharapova, the 32-year-old tennis star, may be officially saying goodbye to professional tennis, but she plans to continue with her endorsement deals, according to her spokeswoman.
During her career, the Russian-born tennis player who moved to the U.S. as a young girl has won five Grand Slam titles. She has been dealing with a shoulder problem for years. Sharapova won Wimbledon as a 17-year-old, and later won two titles at the French Open and one each at the U.S. Open and the Australian Open. She served a 15-month ban after failing a doping test in 2016, and since her return, has only reached one major quarterfinal.
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According to Sharapova’s spokeswoman, the former tennis player will continue to work with Nike, which she has been working with since she was 11 years old. She plans to continue her tennis collection, in addition to a shoe line called Maria Sharapova x La Cortez, which is now in its third iteration. The latest collection launched last fall and featured apparel for the first time. She’s also collaborated on products for Head Racquets, such as court bags.
A Nike spokesman didn’t return an e-mail seeking comment.
Sharapova also plans to continue as the brand ambassador for Evian Waters, which she’s been affiliated with since 2010 and with Porsche, which she’s been involved in since 2012, said the spokeswoman.
Sharapova is the founder and chief executive officer of Sugarpova, a candy line, which she started in 2012. She oversees the day-to-day decision-making and growth of the business, from creative branding and packaging to product R&D and retail expansion. She is also involved in supporting the next generations of entrepreneurs, and has invested in several companies and participates in mentorship programs for women in business. Sharapova chronicled much of her tennis career in her 2017 New York Times bestseller, “Unstoppable: My Life So Far.” She has taken courses at Harvard Business School and is collaborating with architect Dan Meis since 2017 on a new concept for boutique wellness centers.
Earlier in her career, Sharapova had a collection of handbags with Cole Haan and was also the face of Tag Heuer, when she appeared with ads beginning in 2005, that were shot by Patrick Demarchelier and Tom Munro.
Sharapova wrote a first-person essay in Vanity Fair and Vogue, which was published Wednesday, saying that she was retiring from professional tennis.
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