“Tennis- I’m Saying Goodbye”: Five-Time Grand Slam Winner Maria Sharapova Officialy Retires

Five-time Grand Slam winner and Tennis superstar Maria Sharapova who is touted as the most recognizable sportswoman in the world officially announced her retirement at the age of 32 on Wednesday. There is no doubt that she will be remembered in every corner of her sport with great respect more than just affection.

In the articles published in Vanity Fair and Vogue magazines, Sharapova said, “Tennis – I’m saying goodbye.” After 28 years devoting herself to sport and bringing home 5 prestigious Grand Slam titles, Maria is all set to conquer another mountain.

The 32-year-old Russian who moved to the United States with her dad in the year 1994 as refugees with only $700 and didn't know any English word made it big the sports industry. She also became the female highest earner for 11 years in a row.

Sharapova has been a household name since she was 17 when she could defeat No.1 seed Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final and claimed her very first grand slam.

Since then her career has been flying higher as she continued to rise to the summit of the world rankings. Other than the Wimbledon title, she has won two more French Open titles, one US Open, and one Australian Open title.

However, at the Australian Open taking place in the year 2016, the sportsperson tested positive for the banned substance meldonium. Maria was banned for 2 years initially but then the ban was reduced to only 15 months. Unfortunately, when she returned to action in the following year, she was unable to hit the heights.

Reports suggest that she has collected over $38 million in prize money along with received a huge number of high-paid endorsements from sports brands like Nike. Off the court in 2012, Sharapova started busy with building her business empire with a candy production company and co-owner of sunscreen firm Supergoop.

Take a look at her beautiful moments below:

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