Despite being one of the most successful stars in the sport, Maria Sharapova has had to face many difficulties during her tennis career. At a young age, she left her native country to move to the United States with her father to pursue her tennis ambition. It was a career-changing decision that eventually bore fruit. Subsequently, she toiled hard before finding success on the big stage. Recently, Sharapova talked about getting motivated despite facing many difficulties in her career.

While at the peak of her career, the Russian star suffered a major blow as she tested positive for a banned substance in 2016. As a result, she faced a 15-month suspension. She made a comeback in 2017 before eventually calling an end to her illustrious career in 2020. In her recent guest appearance, she provides some valuable advice for upcoming tennis stars.

Maria Sharapova talks about regaining focus amidst difficult times

Recently, episode one of BetterUp’s experience with Microsoft Viva was released. The 36-year-old Russian beauty was the first guest on the show, where she talked about a variety of subjects, including her tennis career.

In one of the segments, she talked about how she got herself to be motivated when the going got tough. Opening up on this, Sharapova said, “I had a lot of days where I would wake up and my body just wasn’t there. And there was something about opening the gate to the court, to the tennis court, where enter with my team and I would close the gate.”

Further, she went on to add, “And the second that the gate closed, I realized that this is where it matters. This is what matters to me. This is where I can improve.” The former World Number 1 also went on to acknowledge her close ones who supported and guided her during these times.

Earlier this month, Sharapova was in Toronto, Canada. Some of the world’s top tennis stars were also in the same city to participate in the National Bank Open. During the tournament, Sharapova had an unexpected encounter with one of the best players in the tennis world right now.

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Sharapova met Alcaraz in Canada

Days ago, a picture went viral on social media, showing Sharapova catching up with Alcaraz at the Academy United in Toronto. Talking about their meetup, the Spaniard said, “I was in shock because I didn’t expect her to be here in Toronto. And she was first in the lift and it was, She is Maria or not? You know what I mean?”

However, Alcaraz had a disappointing tournament as far as his performance was concerned. He lost in the quarterfinals against Tommy Paul. The Spaniard will look to get back to winning ways before the US Open as he steps onto the court in Cincinnati.

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