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The former Russian player Maria Sharapova started a new business named ‘Sugarpova’ in 2012.’ ‘Sugarpova’ is a luxury candy collection inspired by the tennis sensation Sharapova. She came up with the concept after developing a huge appetite for sweets.

Recently, in an interview with Forbes, Maria Sharapova discussed the journey of ‘Sugarpova’. She confessed that in the early stages, she didn’t have a clear vision, but she was determined.

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Maria Sharapova’s new business

In 2012, Maria Sharapova came up with the intriguing concept of ‘Sugarpova’. Having a sweet tooth herself, Sharapova started this new business in the candy line. Recently, the Russian attended the Forber Under30 summit, where she opened up about the whole idea of ‘Sugarpova’.

When asked about her main purpose of the business, she said, “I had a major sweet tooth from a very young age. I grew up in my grandmother’s kitchen and although I knew, you know, what it takes to be a pro athlete, I also enjoyed moments of indulgence like sitting back in the kitchen and baking and sweets.”

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The Russian continued, “When I came to the United States, I saw the selection of gummies and I was like woah I’ve never seen that back home in Russia… And so I decided to invest some of my money to start it and become the CEO of it.”

Sharapova confessed that in the early days of her company, she didn’t have a clear vision for its future. She didn’t know where it would be 5-10 years down the line. Maria also stated that it had been a fascinating and learning experience for the former World No. 1.

Watch this story: The Journey of Roger Federer to the Elite Billionaire’s Club

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Sharapova’s retirement from professional tennis

Maria Sharapova started her professional tennis career at the age of just 14 in 2001. In three years, she won her first Grand Slam title upsetting the in-form Serena Williams at Wimbledon 2004. In her prolonged career, the Russian triumphed over five Grand Slam titles and also acquired the World No. 1 ranking.

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On 26th February, 2020, she bid goodbye to tennis and announced her retirement. The move came as a surprise, since she was only 32 at the time. However, she has been busy with various ventures after her retirement and is a successful businesswoman.

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ALSO READ: “Felt Like I Was More”: Maria Sharapova Reveals Thoughts on Leaving Tennis and Being Multi-Faceted at Forbes Under 30 Summit