There’s a reason why WTA declared five-time Slam champion Maria Sharapova the “queen of tennis fashion glamor”, back in 2019. Be it 2017’s US Open Swarovski crystal-studded dress or her classic Wimbledon whites, she aced most of her looks, serving them right. But it seems there’s one specific outfit from her professional run that left a sour taste in her mouth. But why? How can you like a dress that results in your first round exit from a major?
On Friday, Sharapova held a Q&A session on her IG, allowing fans to ask intriguing questions. One eager follower was keen to know if she had a least favorite dress in mind from her on-court appearances at any Slam event. Turns out, there is one indeed.
More than a decade ago, during the 2010 Australian Open, Maria stepped on the Rod Laver Arena to face another Maria – her compatriot and 58-ranked Maria Kirilenko. She wore fluttering, multi-tiered dress, designed in collaboration with Nike. And when she wore it during the match, it ended up ruining her campaign. How?
Well, Sharapova’s outfit didn’t really impress much as she had a tough time adjusting it while moving on the court. Revealing the reason in her Q&A on IG, the former World No.1 wrote, “In hindsight, there was too much going on with this one. And I lost. Double Whammy”
Eventually, Kirilenko ousted her, pulling off an upset, with a score line of 7-6, 3-6, 6-4. This defeat represented Sharapova’s most disappointing showing at a Grand Slam since her first-round exit at the 2003 French Open. It also marked her first loss at this particular tournament since her 2007 final defeat to Serena Williams, excluding her absence in 2009 due to injury.
Well, one can say her entire 2010 season wasn’t impressive at all. Apart from facing an early exit down under, she couldn’t impress at the remaining three Slams either. At the Roland Garros, she was ousted in the third round. On the other hand, she was eliminated in the fourth round at the Wimbledon and then the US Open.
Circling back to her Q&A, Sharapova also teased a cryptic update. We know how passionate she’s about tennis. The 37-year-old hanged up her racket back in early 2020 but didn’t leave playing. In recent years, she’s been spotted participating at several exhibition events, showcasing her love for the racket sport. But is there a scope for return now?
Maria Sharapova shares a mysterious response over the possibility of an intriguing career option
During her Q&A session, one fan asked Maria Sharapova whether she will ever consider coaching. Any guesses about her answer? Well, it wasn’t a clear-cut reply. Sharing her reaction, being doubtful and curious, she wrote, “Me??”
As of now, it’s hard to interpret the clear meaning of this response from the Tennis Hall of Famer. But if one can go back down the memory lane, there’s already a clarity available. She played her last match in January 2020, where she was ousted in the first round of the Australian Open. Croatia’s Donna Vekić denied her a fairytale ending, with a score line of 6-3, 6-4.
Later in February, she announced her retirement saying, “Tennis—I’m saying goodbye… One of the keys to my success was that I never looked back and I never looked forward. I believed that if I kept grinding and grinding, I could push myself to an incredible place. But there is no mastering tennis—you must simply keep heeding the demands of the court while trying to quiet those incessant thoughts in the back of your mind,” reported Variety. She then engaged in a media interaction talking about her future plans.
When questioned if she would consider a comeback, at some point, Sharapova said, “No,” reported the New York Times in March 2020. “I promise everyone.” When asked if she would take up coaching, she didn’t comment and laughed instead. Safe to say that was a no. Considering this, we can assume she won’t likely become a trainer in the near future. But you never know!
The post Bitter Nostalgia Strikes as 5x Grand Slam Winner Maria Sharapova Reveals Her Least Favorite Major Outfit appeared first on EssentiallySports.
