Former Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova has opened up on her experience of stepping into uncharted territory after bidding adieu to the sport.

In an advertisement for Theragun, a deep massaging device manufactured by wellness brand Therabody that she endorses, Sharapova says she’s always had a vision for success.

Sharapova reveals she always knew the meaning of success

The five-time Grand Slam champion says that success, for her, wasn’t “always about holding a trophy” but about the “journey” that she “went through along the way”.

Citing her own success story of a precociously talented teen who went from a virtual unknown to a reigning queen in tennis, the Russian says “it takes years to get to greatness”.

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Sharapova says that it wasn’t easy for her to step out of her comfort zone, the sport she dedicated 28 years of her life to.

The two-time French Open champion said it was through her sport that she realized that success was in her hands.

She adds that she wants the lessons from her past to contribute to her future.

When Sharapova opened up on facing injury trauma

After battling a persistent shoulder problem for a number of years, the 2004 Wimbledon champion announced her retirement from tennis on February 26 last year.

Appearing on a podcast recently, the former tennis diva opened up on injury trauma that she faced in her career.

She revealed that she never felt comfortable taking an hour out of practice fearing that it might affect her game.

Sharapova said that the thought of skipping practice rarely crossed her mind as always feared “doing something wrong”.

Read More: Maria Sharapova Recalls How She Dealt with Challenging Times

The Russian, who now heads her candy line ‘Sugarpova’, recalled days when she felt like she couldn’t go through practice but yet had to show up for it as she had hired spot people for the purpose.