Sharapova: My father was tough, my mother didn’t care whether I was the first or the 300th racket in the world – Sports Mail.ru

“My father was a big influence in the sport, he pushed me, he was tough but fair. My mother was involved in my education, cultural development, and whenever possible, even if it was in Sarasota, Florida, she took me to ballet. It may not have been the best ballet, but my mother introduced me to different things in life besides hitting a tennis ball. It was one of her greatest gifts to me because she didn’t care if I was number one or number 300 in the world. She wanted me to be inquisitive and remain modest,” Sportskeeda quotes Sharapova as saying.

Maria Sharapova completed her sports career in February 2020. She has won Grand Slam singles titles five times. Sharapova is one of only two Russian tennis players in history, along with Dinara Safina, to ever top the WTA rankings. In total, the athlete stayed at the top for 21 weeks.