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COLOGNE, GERMANY – JANUARY 31: Maria Sharapova celebrates ‘SUGARPOVA’ chocolate line expansion at ISM trade fair on January 31, 2017 in Cologne, Germany. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)
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COLOGNE, GERMANY – JANUARY 31: Maria Sharapova celebrates ‘SUGARPOVA’ chocolate line expansion at ISM trade fair on January 31, 2017 in Cologne, Germany. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)
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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LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 27: Maria Sharapova launches Sugarpova at Kingdom of Sweets on June 27, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Joe Maher/Getty Images for Sugarpova)
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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Maria Sharapova of Russia celebrates after her WTA St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy 2019 tennis match on January 28, 2019 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. (Photo by Mike Kireev/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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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