Tennis great-turned-angel investor Maria Sharapova said she faced pressure to "soften her edges" because her on-court demeanor intimidated people, but she refused to apologize for the ruthless mentality that powered her career.
Sharapova Refused Pressure To Soften Her Edge
Speaking with Gayle King at the TIME100 Summit in New York earlier this year, Sharapova said she never wanted to reshape herself to meet others’ expectations.
"So from a young age, I had a very steely mentality. I had a fist pump that I was really known for," she said. After matches, people told her, "‘It’s so intimidating. You need to soften your edges. Can you add a filter?’"
Sharapova said she felt pressure to apologize "because I was a lady," but rejected it. "‘Pretty tough’ was my mentality, and I didn’t apologize for it," she said.
Sharapova was 17 when she defeated Serena Williams to win Wimbledon in 2004. She later won four more titles and retired at 32 in 2020, ranking third among women and eighth overall in career tennis prize money.
She said criticism mattered less than the work. "When I woke up in the morning, and I put on my sportswear, that was my shield. Like, that was my armor," Sharapova said.
Winning Mentality Outweighed Labels And Criticism
"Everyone in the players’ lounge, on the court, was in the way of my success," she added. The labels carried a price, she said, but "they got me incredible victories because I was determined and focused."
In a 2019 Glamour interview, Sharapova treated intrusive questions as another test. "You get things thrown at you and you have to deliver and accept them," she said.
Her account echoes other women who have resisted pressure to moderate their public image. Serena Williams has discussed criticism targeting her body, gender and race, while WNBA star Angel Reese has said she stopped letting social-media attacks dictate her responses.
Competitive Drive Powers Her Business Second Act
Sharapova carried that discipline into business. She founded Sugarpova and invested in companies including Bala Bangles and Therabody, part of a broader wave of athletes turning earnings and personal brands into ownership stakes.
NBA great Shaquille O’Neal built a portfolio after basketball, backing Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) Google, Lyft Inc. (NASDAQ:LYFT) and Amazon.com Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) Ring while investing in restaurant and fitness franchises. Their second acts show that elite athletes can convert competitiveness, networks and risk tolerance into business careers, though celebrity alone does not guarantee investment success.
Image via Shutterstock
Login to comment