Sharapova, 32, called perseverance her “greatest tool” but said it had ultimately worked against her as she tried to push through recurring injuries and revive a brilliant career.To understand why Maria Sharapova is retiring from professional tennis at age 32, it helps to know what she can no longer endure.“I look at photos of myself and of the motion where I’m just about to hit the ball, and I’m in the air or just as I’m making contact,” she said on Tuesday, “and I can’t even look at it because it makes me cringe.

If not for the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, she would surely not be a tennis star. The two-time French Open champion's retirement was fueled by a continued struggle with multiple shoulder injuries.

Kobe Bryant’s death in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26 made it even clearer.“We were supposed to see each other like three days after the crash,” said Sharapova, who explained that Bryant had been an “incredible sounding board” throughout her career.This time, she said, she had reached out for help in coping with her physical deterioration.“I think we all seem at times in our journey like larger than life because of what we do, but everyone at the core is incredibly fragile,” she said of Bryant. She was ousted by Serena Williams in the first round, 6-1, 6-1.Sharapova said that she recently went skiing for the first time and that she planned to study architecture later this year.

She seldom liked playing at the net, and her foot speed could not compare to that of rivals like the Williams sisters and Halep.But she had a fluid, world-class two-handed backhand and a deep understanding of how to construct a baseline point. As an advisory board member and consultant, she said she'll help grow Therabody by focusing on its global expansion and advising on future product development.
"Do your homework," she said.

I have so much pain.”The pain has been a near-constant companion over the last two years for Sharapova, a former No. Quite the contrary, in her view.“As I think you’ve seen throughout my career, my perseverance has been my greatest tool, my greatest strength,” she said in an interview. When she came across Therabody a few years ago, she said, it instantly stood out to her as an industry game-changer.When considering an investment, Sharapova said she focuses on companies that bring a different approach to a problem, whether it's technology or a fantastic design. 373 in the world rankings, played the way she practiced: at full volume and intensity, throwing herself into the challenge with evident relish despite some technical and physical shortcomings.Her forehand was considered enough of a liability in her youth that she considered hitting it with her left hand instead of her right. They eventually fled to Nyagan in distant Siberia to live near family. 4m Followers, 589 Following, 1,694 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Maria Sharapova (@mariasharapova) Therabody "For Bala Bangles, Mark and I both felt they had such a unique perspective on design and the shortcomings of stale fitness gear," she said. She was the world’s highest-earning female athlete for 11 consecutive years, “She really helped the sport a lot because she brought a lot of attention to it,” Billie Jean King, one of the WTA Tour’s founders, said on Tuesday. 1 for the first time in August 2005 and spent 21 weeks in the top spot.But she arguably made a more indelible mark off court.
Their rivalry has ended with Williams holding a 20-2 head-to-head record and playing on at age 38.This era has belonged to Williams, no doubt, but Sharapova made herself heard loud and clear just the same.