Maria Sharapova opens up on unpleasant childhood memories before successful tennis career

Former World No.1 Maria Sharapova announced her retirement on Wednesday from the game of tennis after her career has been plagued by injuries. The Russian had a dismal 2019 record, having played just 15 matches. Her ranking also took a plunge due to which she had to accept the wild card to compete in 2020 Australian Open but that did not turn her fortunes around either as she exited the tournament quite early. 

Also Read: Tennis Ace Maria Sharapova's Net Worth Will Leave You Bewildered; Read Details

Maria Sharapova childhood 

The 32-year-old star had shifted to the United States back in 1994 but still competes under the Russian banner. While speaking to a leading news agency recently, Sharapova revealed some mysteries of her childhood. In her interview, she said that her childhood was lonely and full of pressure. She branded her childhood as "more or less dull, trapped, suffocating and boring".

Also Read: Maria Sharapova Drops Out Of Top 350 In WTA Rankings After Australian Open Round 1 Loss

During the interview, she recalled that she felt very lonely and also missed her mother a lot. She revealed that her father always worked hard in order to get back home early before she fell asleep. She also shed limelight on receiving insults but took all that to pursue all her dreams with enthusiasm. She also said that after going through all these troubles, she learned how to take care of herself and never thought about quitting tennis because she knew what she wanted. 

Also Read: Maria Sharapova Is 'Unstoppable'? Russian Hints At Retiring Post Australian Open 2020 Loss

Maria Sharapova doping

Maris Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam champion and former World No.1, tested positive for meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open. Meldonium, a heart disease drug, also known as mildronate, became a banned substance on January 1, 2016. She was handed a two-year ban by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). The ban was later cut down to 15 months. 

Also Read: Australian Wildfire: Maria Sharapova Pledges $17,400, Urges Djokovic To Match Her Donation

Maria Sharapova WTA ranking 

The 2020 Australian Open saw Maria Sharapova losing her first-round match against Donna Vekic. The loss saw her dropping outside top 350 of the WTA rankings.