‘My Mom Was Pregnant..’- Russian Tennis Legend Maria Sharapova Opens Up About Chernobyl Disaster and Her Parents’ Migrant Life

The year 1986 was gripping in mankind’s history. One of the worst disasters occurred in Chernobyl which left millions affected. The explosion was so bad that generation after generation has suffered from its impact. Russian tennis star, Maria Sharapova, was born just a few days after this disaster. Recently, she narrated how it left a huge impact on her family.

Sharapova’s parents lived near the site of the disaster. However, soon after, they had to move to another place as Sharapova’s mother was pregnant with her. The gripping tale narrated by Maria Sharapova is sure to raise goosebumps.

What did Maria Sharapova say about the Chernobyl disaster?

Yesterday, a new episode of the famous podcast, Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard was released. It featured Sharapova, who made candid revelations about her career, business ventures, personal life, etc. Further, she also went on to talk about how the Chernobyl disaster left a big impact on her.

Talking about this, Sharapova said, “It was a very different upbringing. I was born in Siberia because of Chernobyl explosion, my mom was pregnant with me, they were living 30 kilometers from the explosion in Belarus at that time.”

Further, Shepard joked whether Sharapova’s tall height was because of the effects of the disaster to which Sharapova smartly replied, “I mean, it’s been mentioned a few times. No one is as tall as I am, definitely been a consideration.” 

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Sharapova then opened up about her family’s migration to another part of the country. She said, “We fled to Siberia and that is where I was born. Two years later, we moved down to South, a little bit warmer and that’s where I started.” The travel and shift of the base continued for Sharapova even after she was born. To pursue her tennis ambitions, she had to move to the United States.

Sharapova’s move to America

Although the Russian tennis beauty started practicing tennis in her home country at a very young age, the facilities there weren’t sufficient to become a world-class player. As a result, her family decided to move to America.

However, Sharapova was separated from her mother for two years as only she and her father moved there. Recalling the disappointment, she said, “My mom didn’t join me for the first two years. I didn’t see her for two years. It’s very interesting looking back at it because now I’m a mother of a sixteen-month-old and I cannot imagine that kind of separation.”

Nonetheless, the sacrifices bore fruit eventually as she was one of the top names in the women’s circuit for many years. How do you rate Sharapova’s tennis career? Let us know your views in the comments below.

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