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After spending 19 years on the WTA Tour, Maria Sharapova retired from tennis in February last year. However, the spotlight continues to shine on the Russian as she made an appearance at the Venice Film Festival.

At the festival, she attended the premiere of the Italian movie titled, “The Hand of God”.

Maria Sharapova appears at the 78th Venice Film Festival

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On Wednesday, September 1, the Venice Film Festival kicked off. Founded in 1932, this is the 78th edition of the iconic film competition, with 21 films from various countries selected by a talented jury.

Among those 21 films features the Italian film, “The Hand of God”. While the title shares a striking similarity to the name given to Diego Maradona’s infamous goal in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, the film isn’t about sports or the Argentine great.

Directed by Paolo Sorrentino, the film depicts a personal story from the days of his youth. Yesterday, the two hour 10 minutes film premiered in Venice, with Sharapova featuring in attendance. She wore a black dress to the festival, and took to social media to share a few photos of her from the event. Along with the photos, she wrote“Venice Film Festival at the premiere of Paulo Sorrentino’s The Hand of God.”

“The Hand of God” will be released in Italy on November 24, 2021. With Netflix distributing the film, it will appear on the popular platform on December 15, 2021.

READ MORE: All You Need To Know About Maria Sharapova’s Candy Brand Sugarpova

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Sharapova played her last match in the 2020 Australian Open

At the start of 2020, Sharapova struggled for form. Although she got a wildcard for the Australian Open, she suffered a first-round loss to Donna Vekic in straight sets. The defeat sent her crashing down to #369 in the world rankings, her worst in 18 years.

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Following the defeat, the Russian announced her retirement from tennis. During her 19-year career, the 34-year-old clinched five Grand Slam victories, with the 2014 French Open being the last of those triumphs.

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