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

Published 10/22/2022, 7:10 AM EDT

The five-time Grand Slam champion, Maria Sharapova, is an inspiration for millions around the world. Especially for the players from her own country, Russia. Recently, the current world no.44 in the WTA rankings, Anastasia Potapova, recently talked about her idol Sharapova and why she idolizes her.

Sharapova retired from tennis in 2020, however, she has kept her grind on while managing and balancing her new life and her off-court endeavors.

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Anastasia Potapova wishes to emulate her idol Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova has won five major titles during her glorious career. And this is an astounding feat that has made her a source of inspiration for the new generation. The 21-year-old Russian player, Anastasia Potapova, recently opened up about her idol in an interview. When asked about it, she simply said, “It’s always been, Sharapova. I think it’s simple for me.”

The host then commented that she looks like her too. To which she said, “Yeah, I hear it a lot of times. Kournikova, Sharapova, Wozniacki, something in between you know. I heard it a lot of times.”

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However, she clarified that she likes Sharapova for her abilities. Potapova said, “But it’s not more about how she looks, it’s about how she’s behaving on the court or playing, how she’s fighting and I think it’s very inspiring.”

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

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All in all, she confessed her wish and stated, “I really want to be, one day, maybe like her or maybe even better if I am lucky.”

Can Potapova become the next Sharapova?

Potapova has performed extremely well this year on the court. She won her maiden singles title at the Istanbul Open. Moreover, she also reached the finals of the Prague Open, but Marie Bouzkova defeated her.

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Despite her defeat in singles, she won the doubles title at the Prague Open with her partner, Yana Sizikova. However, this is just the beginning. Her idol, Sharapova, won 36 singles titles apart from winning five Grand Slam titles. For Potapova to be the next Sharapova, she has to keep her performance consistent and continue winning titles.

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Written by:

Shivali Sharma is a tennis author at EssentiallySports. She has pursued her Master's in history from Himachal University, but her love for the game has driven her to write about tennis. Shivali is a huge fan of Naomi Osaka and admires Osaka not only for her on-court performances, but also for her off-court actions.

Edited by:

Tony Thomas

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

Anastasia Potapova wishes to emulate her idol Maria Sharapova

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Can Potapova become the next Sharapova?