How a Porsche-Powered Realization Introduced Maria Sharapova to a Southern California Heaven

Maria Sharapova won almost every title during her two-decade-long competitive journey, owing to her unmatched talent on the court. Aside from Grand Slams and WTA 1000 trophies, the former Russian tennis player once also received a Porsche 911 as an accolade. However, Sharapova faced a major conundrum after being awarded one of the most iconic cars.

The 5-time singles Grand Slam champion, who resides in the States, recently shed light on the gridlocked highways in Los Angeles. Speaking of it, the former tennis ace recently revealed how she was once prompted to drive her Porsche 911 in a different part of the country.

Maria Sharapova took her Porsche on the 101 to Santa Barbara

The former world No. 1 player has won thirty-six WTA singles titles, including the 2012 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. In addition to the prize money, Maria Sharapova also received a Porsche 911 after her triumphant campaign in Germany.

Reminiscing about it, the 5-time singles Grand Slam champion recently revealed how she ended up visiting Santa Barbara for the first time just after winning the title in 2012. In an interview with FT, Sharapova said, “The prize included a Porsche 911 and I realised I wouldn’t be doing justice to the vehicle – or myself – if I only drove it on Los Angeles’ gridlocked highways.”

As she didn’t want to drive her high-performance sports car in Los Angeles’ traffic, Sharapova said that she took her Porsche 911 to Southern California. She stated, “I asked my friends for the best drive in southern California: they unanimously told me to take the 101 to Santa Barbara.”

Just after discovering Southern California, the Russian tennis icon also revealed how she fell in love with a particular place in the city, prompting her to find permanent residence there.

Sharapova on why she bought a home in Santa Barbara

In the same interview, the 36-year-old talked about how she was immediately attracted to the environment in SoCal. As she spent a considerable period in Santa Barbara, Sharapova and her fiancé also fell in love with a small cottage near Montecito.

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While drawing comparisons between her stays in LA and the coastal city, the former tennis ace said, “It felt natural for us to buy a home here.” Sharapova also asserted that the city sets the tone for a road trip, as there are always lots of motorcycles and live music playing in Southern California.