‘We Weren’t Financially Stable’ – Difficult $700 Reality Recalled by Maria Sharapova as She Reminisces Her Initial Days in America

At the mere age of 14, Maria Sharapova started her competitive tennis journey and later went on to become one of the best players on the WTA Tour. While competing on the women’s circuit from 2001 to 2020, the Russian former tennis player amassed a total of 36 singles titles while also reaching the number 1 spot in the rankings. However, Sharapova’s illustrious tennis journey was not without challenges.

In order to develop her tennis skills, the former tennis ace and her dad moved from their home country, Russia, to the United States. While reminiscing about her initial tough days in the US, the 36-year-old recently shed light on a harsh $700 reality.

Maria Sharapova recalls her challenging phase in the United States

With a goal to shape her tennis journey, the former WTA player and her dad arrived in the U.S. with just $700. Sharapova’s father took up some low-paying jobs to cover rent, tennis lessons, and other necessities, while the Russian player worked hard at Nick Bollettieri’s tennis academy. The father and daughter also had to live together in a small flat that cost $250 a month, sharing a pull-out couch.

Due to their financial situation, Sharapova wore hand-me-down tennis clothes from other girls at her academy. Reminiscing about the challenging phase in the Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard podcast, the former tennis ace revealed how she found some comfort in her daily routine.

She said, “I wrote an autobiography several years ago. And it was for exactly that reason, because I felt like this relationship to my father, especially in the first two years as an immigrant was such a unique and special story. And we were lost, but we found comforts in our daily routines. And because we had a goal and we had a vision and I had a passion, I would wake up the first thing I do is go get my racket and ‘Dad, let’s eat breakfast fast. So we can go out on the court at 6am.'”

While asserting that she was passionate about her tennis goals, Sharapova also recalled how she and her dad only had $700 in their pockets. The 5-time singles Grand Slam champion added, “That’s all I wanted to do. And so to have his guidance while we weren’t financially stable at all, with $700 in our pocket as we landed in the United States.”

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A decade after coming to the United States, the Russian player’s perseverance and hard work paid off as she won Wimbledon and also bagged a prize check for £560,500 at the mere age of 17.

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