“She is a young and beautiful woman, she has a whole life ahead”
A statement about the completion of a career from Maria Sharapova has been waiting for a long time, since the tennis player had health problems and rarely appeared on the court. However, when this happened, many experts admitted that they still did not fully believe in the departure of a well-deserved tennis player. One of those who hoped that the Russian woman would nevertheless return to their former level was the president of the Federal Republic of Tatarstan, Shamil Tarpishchev. Maria, according to him, has not recovered from injuries.
“I haven’t talked to her for a long time. The decision itself was expected. Unfortunately, Sharapova could not get rid of injuries, she was losing position in the ranking. We all hoped that she could recover and again please the fans, but this did not happen. Therefore, it remains only to make her decision, ”Sport24 quotes Tarpishchev.
In turn, the ex-first racket of the planet Yevgeny Kafelnikov stressed that Sharapova was one of the flagships of world tennis.
“For 15 years, she was one of the flagships of women's world tennis, this must be recognized. If we take the results, Sharapova, of course, is better than all the athletes who represented Russia. There are more titles of the Grand Slam. The results speak for themselves, they do not lie and do not deceive, ”said Kafelnikov.
And the famous commentator Anna Dmitrieva called the end of her career Maria "a logical result."
“There were problems, first associated with the injury, then with endless irritation from the fans, who for some reason were offended by it because of defeats. In addition, the return is always very difficult, there are many distractions that accompany normal human life. I think the decision she made is the right one. Now Mary has time to do something else. She is a young and beautiful woman, she has a whole life ahead, ”the Championship quoted the journalist as saying.
The most striking moment in the career of Sharapova Dmitrieva, like most other experts, called her victory over Serena Williams in the Wimbledon 2004 final. Then the Russian woman was barely 17 years old.
“It was such a take-off that few people experience. I was reporting. It was a great joy for me, but also a very big surprise, because she played with Serena. But there was such a brilliance, an absolute absence of fear. This is a wonderful match, ”Dmitrieva added.
“The children looked at Masha and tried to be like her”
Respectful to the decision of Sharapova were those tennis players who played for many years with her side-by-side. For example, with Anna Chakvetadze they were born in the same year and started a career together.
“Maria is an athlete of the highest class, a great fellow. She has done a lot, not only for Russian tennis, but also for world tennis. The decision to end a career is not tragic. This is life, it happens. Sharapova - the best tennis player of the XXI century? I can’t say so, because I don’t want to offend other girls. Yes, she has the most titles, but one must not forget about Anastasia Myskina and Elena Dementieva. At the beginning of the 2000s, there were many strong athletes in Russia. But in any case, Maria has made a great contribution to the development of world tennis. The children looked at Masha and tried to be like her. She played for many years at the highest level, regardless of contracts, victories and circumstances. She is the top, ”assured Chakvetadze.
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And the Olympic doubles champion Elena Vesnina emphasized that the five-time winner of the Grand Slam tournaments was simply "tired of fighting pain." Also, the semi-finalist of Wimbledon expressed the opinion that Sharapova was broken by a doping story.
“Masha had problems with her arm and shoulder before the scandal. Then this break, worries, nerves. All this affected her return. Still, when the muscles are constantly in good shape and you regularly play, the mood is completely different. Matches can not be compared with endless training. She was tired of fighting pain, with constant interruptions. She could not play several matches without feeling pain. Masha, after all, started as a girl, she had a long career. But when individuals of such a scale end, it’s always sad, ”the Sport Express tennis player quotes.
And the three-time finalist of the Grand Slam tournaments of Dinar Safin recalled that Sharapova was nearby when she herself ended her career.
“You were on that farewell day in Madrid. We were rivals when we played individual tournaments. But we were also the most friendly team when we played for Russia. Thanks for what I did for tennis. Thank you for inspiring children! Be the happiest at your new life stage, ”Safina wrote on Instagram.
Finally, Mikhail Yuzhny, one of the strongest Russian tennis players of the two thousandth, admitted that he was still surprised by the step of the 32-year-old athlete.
“Rumors that Sharapova will finish have been around for a long time. But when this happens, it all the same turns out unexpectedly. Is the era going away? The old is replaced by a new one. Someone is sad of this, someone is sorry, but it is third-party. And only Mary herself can understand what is happening to her now. Her career was brilliant; she did a lot for both Russian tennis and world tennis. You just need to congratulate her on such a career and wish her good luck in the future. As for her main victory, I did not follow her globally, because he played in parallel. But Wimbledon at the age of 17 put himself in his head perfectly, ”said Yuzhny.
“It's always a pity when the careers of great champions come to an end”
However, most experts nevertheless noted that Sharapova with her numerous injuries simply had no choice but to hang a racket on a nail. For example, this opinion is shared by the famous Russian coach Andrei Chesnokov.
“Everyone around said that Masha was about to finish. She may and wants to play, but there is no possibility, because to go to court, you need to be healthy. And her results failed, she played poorly, and motivation was weak. It was clear that she could not serve much, play actively. And then what should she do on the court? To throw balls so that the rivals make a cutlet out of it? ”, The specialist asked.
Also, according to Chesnokov, the athlete was greatly affected by the situation with prolonged disqualification for the use of meldonium. According to him, such a long downtime could not but affect her game.
“America decided it was dope. I heard a resume from a person who was developing this drug, he clearly and clearly told how his drug works and that it has nothing to do with doping. Imagine what it means to not play for a year and three months ?! She is the only one who has been punished for consuming meldonium, ”added Chesnokov.
And the coach of the Russian men's team Igor Kunitsyn emphasized that Sharapova made a huge contribution to the development of not only domestic, but also world tennis.
“It’s always a pity when the careers of great champions come to an end. On the other hand, in recent years, due to injuries, she could not show what she was capable of, and, probably, her time really passed. I think it’s wrong to compare Maria with someone. But she won all the Grand Slam tournaments, which is a unique and rare achievement. Such tennis players will always be few. Only Sharapova herself knows her condition. All the nuances from the outside are not visible. Each athlete should feel the moment when it is really necessary to finish, so that later it would not be insulting, ”the Sport Express expert quotes.
And the honored trainer of Russia, Vladimir Kamelson, called Maria "the legend of world tennis." He noted that she was a “landmark athlete of all time” and was the personification of tennis in Russia.
“She is an architectonious person who achieved high results not only due to talent, but also due to hard work. What Sharapova did, no one could even closely repeat. Nobody approached such glory in world tennis. She had a significant fate - to go through the bloody meldonium. Masha even after that tried to fight, to stand on her feet, and she partially succeeded. She played for the national team, was in our team with Tarpishchev in Israel, then went to Prague for the finals of the Federation Cup. This is a unique person. She could learn the highest skills and achieve heights, humanity, ”Kamelson emphasized.
According to the expert, after completion of his career, Sharapova will find something to do in life without professional sports. Also in his opinion, Maria has always been a spectacular girl and attracted the attention of fans.
“She has excellent English. And how she dresses! When Masha went to court, he became like a model house, and the stands were packed to the ceiling. At the Saint-Petersburg Open, we did not just sell all the tickets - people literally crowded inside. It is unfortunate that the time has come, but it does not spare anyone. In the history of world tennis, Sharapova is one of the brightest stars. You can look up to her, she can be admired. Tennis in its performance will always be relevant. I am very sorry that I can no longer see her on the tennis stage. This is the greatest athlete, ”Kamelson added.
Finally, the honored coach of Russia Viktor Yanchuk even called Sharapova’s departure a welcome decision. He noted that she should have said goodbye to sports earlier and not torment herself.
“Looking objectively at reality, its traumas and eternal failures on the court, we can say that Mary had to be stopped for a long time. Maybe engage in sports issues, support and inspire youth. Recent speeches and suffering brought nothing to Sharapova, except disappointment and grief. She lost her former form, and injuries tormented her, and there was some kind of mess with the coaches. Maria reached the pen and, in the end, admitted it. I did it right. How much can you push? ” - summed up the specialist.