Former Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova once gave her insight into building a muscular body. Women’s tennis has actually come a long way. From the time when the likes of Billie Jean King had to fight for its importance, to the time of Serena Williams, we have seen it grow into a global sport. Today, tennis is one of the few games where male and female athletes are treated equally. However, a few things are still different for male and female players in the sport. It’s the player’s affinity toward fitness.

Maria Sharapova, in an interview in 2015, explained her reason for not focusing on muscle building. Here’s what she said.

Maria Sharapova doesn’t want muscles

The trend of working out and building muscles came from Martina Navratilova. The American was the flag bearer of fitness training for women in tennis. Similarly, Serena Williams also has a muscular physique. However, some don’t feel the necessity for muscle building in women’s tennis. Maria Sharapova was one of the best tennis players in the modern era and she believes that muscles are not important in tennis. Here’s what she said.

“I always want to be skinnier with less cellulite; I think that’s every girl’s wish.” She further added that she “can’t handle lifting more than five pounds.” Also, she feels lifting weights and adding muscle are “unnecessary”

Read more: ‘Really Want to Be Like Her…’ – Tennis Player Reveals Maria Sharapova’s Role in Her Professional Success

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It truly is hard to figure out the importance of muscle building in tennis. Although a strong arm will surely generate more power in shots, it all comes down to the player’s physical attributes and style of play.

Sharapova back to her fitness regime after childbirth

Earlier this year, Sharapova welcomed her first child with her partner Alexander Gilkes. The couple named the baby boy Theodore. After childbirth, Sharapova is back to her fitness regime now. Usually, pregnancy means a long resting period for a woman, and post-pregnancy there is a high chance of gaining weight for mothers. However, the former Russian tennis star is focused on keeping her mind and body fit.

As soon as she recovered, the former world number 1 started her training. However, Sharapova didn’t go for a rigorous workout session and rather kept it light. The legendary tennis star also shared a video of her training at home. It must be inspiring for her fans to see Sharapova’s desire to maintain her fitness.

WATCH THIS STORY: Maria Sharapova whimsically mocks Novak Djokovic about how she helped him win Grand Slams

What are your thoughts on Sharapova’s take on building muscles in women’s tennis?