Pickleball Slam 2: Maria Sharapova Showcases Business Acumen With a Solid Advice to America’s Popular Sport

It’s all set to get the ball rolling at the Pickle Slam 2 which kick-starts on February 4 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Professional Pickleball Association(PPA) has drawn in some of the most beloved tennis stars for season 2. This year, Maria Sharapova and John McEnroe will take on Andre Agassi and his wife Steffi Graf for a $1 M purse in a blockbuster event on Sunday.

Pickleball has now become one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. The Russian tennis beauty is amazed to see its growth over the last few years. She has said that the sport has a bright future. Is Maria Sharapova looking forward to buying or investing in a pickleball team shortly?

Maria Sharapova admits there will be challenges up ahead for the sport, but she’s confident about the growth of pickleball in the sporting world

The former world number one’s tennis success and appearances have enabled her to secure some of the most lucrative commercial endorsements during her career. Apart from her heroics on the court, she has always looked upon the business side of the sport and ended up securing deals that greatly exceeded the value of her tournament winnings.

Recently, Maria Sharapova expressed a keen interest in the business side of pickleball. She said, “On the business side, it’s definitely growing, and how could it not? The engagement across the country is extremely high. You can see why people are really having fun with it.” Sharapova also highlighted the growth of the sport within several tennis and recreational clubs in the US. She is quite amazed to see people building pickleball courts on their properties. There will always be challenges but she believes, “By having more of it on TV and accessible to people, it grows the game.”

READ MORE: Pickleball Slam 2: Maria Sharapova Refuses to Hide Admiration for Steffi Graf in a Candid Confession

Maria Sharapova is quite excited to take part in the Pickleball Slam 2. What’s the main reason for her to join this year’s mega event? Let’s find out what she said before stepping onto the court.

Sharapova reveals the main reason for her participation in the Pickleball Slam 2

The 36-year-old tennis star gave an interview on Friday where she expressed her excitement to feature in the Pickleball Slam 2. She said, “I think all the legends on the court come from very competitive backgrounds, and there will be no holding back, which will make it so much more exciting and fun. Every time I play, it’s been really fun to see how much I giggle, but also how frustrated I can get during some of the games.”

But the main reason for her participation is Steffi Graf. Sharapova is a big fan of this German tennis legend but didn’t ever get the chance to play against her. She added, “The main reason I wanted to participate in this event was to play against Steffi Graf, who I admired for so many years. It’ll be great to compete against (Graf) and Andre with John—all of us playing this sport that’s having such a moment. I’ve been practicing a bunch, so we’ll see. But I think John and I are going to be a formidable team.”

How excited are you to see these tennis stars step onto the court yet again at the Pickleball Slam 2? Share your excitement with us in the comment box.

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