After retiring from tennis at the age of 32, five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova said she admires Ons Jabert, the WTA’s second-ranked player.

Maria Sharapova on the red carpetPhoto: SplashNews.com / Splash / Profimedia

Maria Sharapova is glad that she did not have to play Ons Jabert

Former world leader Sharapova did not play the Tunisian and admitted that Ons “would be a nightmare opponent.”

“To come from nowhere, with no resources, no investment, and overcome all the barriers… The significance of what this means for her country, for her, for her family, is unbelievable.

When I look at Ons, I think I wouldn’t be able to handle her. She would be a nightmare matchup. Thank God I retired because this piece, oh Lord” – Maria Sharapovain the second episode of the Netflix documentary Breaking Point.

At 28, Jaber became the first Arab or African woman to reach a Grand Slam final (at Wimbledon and US Open 2022) and to win a WTA 1000 title (in Madrid).

Ons Jaber stopped in the second round of the Australian Open 2023 after a surprise loss to Marketa Vondrousova (86 WTA).

In tennis, you lose a lot more than you win

Sharapova, who ended her career after the Australian Open 2020, explained how difficult the life of a tennis player is.

“In tennis, you lose a lot more than you win. Even when you’re a champion and you happen to lose a match, you ask yourself, “Am I good enough?” But you have to keep going or you’re not a tennis player. This is the idea of ​​this sport, that you are always searching, always trying to find out who you are and where you will end up” – Maria Sharapova.

Who is Maria Sharapova?

​35-year-old Maria Sharapova was born in the city of Nyagan, Russia, and has been living in Bradenton, Florida, USA for many years.

During his career, he won 5 Grand Slam titles (Australian Open 2008, Roland Garros 2012, 2014), Wimbledon (2004) and US Open (2006). She collected $38,777,962 from tennis alone.

The last part of her career was far from the brilliance to which Masha had accustomed us.

On March 7, 2016, in Los Angeles, Maria Sharapova announced a positive test result for meldonium, a substance that was banned on January 1 of the same year.

After serving the disqualification, Sharapova never returned to her former form, struggling in obscurity regarding sports results. Later, he decided to retire from tennis.

The Russian has more than 4.4 million followers on Instagram, and last summer she gave birth to a little boy, Theodore.