Maria Sharapova has always had a knack for capturing the world’s attention, and she’s once again in the spotlight, this time for a unique business investment that’s turning heads. Known for her sharp mind and her powerful forehand, she’s proving that her winning streak extends beyond tennis. Fans and business enthusiasts alike are buzzing about what this latest venture might bring. What’s next for Sharapova?

The former World No. 1 is capturing headlines yet again as she is now investing in Co-fertility. It is a service-oriented venture that allows women to freeze their eggs and help conceive, as and when they desire. While many tennis players decide to end their career early to start a family, this can be an effective solution and Sharapova is indeed a believer in the process. 

Speaking to Vogue on August 23 about her investment, the former Russian player said, “Women’s sport is having an incredible moment.” She further said, “If they can prolong their career on their own terms by freezing their eggs at a younger age, they’ll perhaps have the time to compete at the highest level for longer.” Remember, many tennis players have often made surprising decisions by calling off their careers to start a family. 

One such case is that of Danielle Collins. The American sensation announced at the beginning of the year that she wishes to start a family as soon as possible, especially as she suffers from endometriosis, which can make conception difficult in the long run. But one of the most effective solutions to such problems is freezing the egg. For the unversed, this method involves collecting and freezing a woman’s eggs so they can be used in fertility treatments in the future. Sharapova believes that this phenomenon can help players make relationship decisions wisely and focus more on their careers. 

Continuing further in the interview, Sharapova said, “Fertility is such a heavy subject when you’re young.” She used her own example to elaborate on the same. “As a teenager and young adult, I was winning Grand Slams, I didn’t have time to think about friendships, let alone boyfriends. But I did know that I wanted to be a mom at the right point in my life.” Sharapova, who gave birth to her son along with her partner Alexander Gilkes, at age 35, believes that this process can be beneficial for all women, and extends beyond the sports arena. But, is she inspired by Sloane Stephens?

Stephens advocated for a pro-longed career of female players in June this year and said, “no woman should have to choose between their career and their family.” The then 29-year-old player froze her egg for the first time in 2022, with the fertility care company Kindbody. She desired to “normalize female athletes making choices for themselves and their futures,” and spread awareness about the entire phenomenon. She also claimed that several other players joined her in the process and are making proactive decisions outside of the tennis courts as well. 

With Sharapova investing in a company that promotes egg freezing, it can be rightly assumed that she is drawing some motivation from Stephens as well. But, what promoted the American star to advocate this process?

When Sloane Stephens opened up about her motivation behind the egg-freezing process

The 2017 US Open winner has been vocal about her egg-freezing process. She engaged in an interview with Cosmopolitan and opened up about her motivation behind the same. While the major reason was to prolong her career, there is definitely more to it. 

Speaking in the interaction, Stephens said, “My grandpa was an OBGYN, so it was something that we had always spoken about. As I got older, and further in my career, I didn’t know how long I was gonna play tennis, but I knew I didn’t want to be stopped. I didn’t want to have to stop my career to have a baby, and I didn’t want my career to dictate whether I could have a baby.”

The amalgamation of starting her family and the desire to play tennis at the same time, met with the experience of an Obstetrician and gynecologist, ultimately making the star player the choice. As tennis and technology evolve at the same time, it would be interesting to see if more players follow in the footsteps of Sloane Stephens and become more vocal and aware about freezing their eggs to prolong their careers.