Maria Sharapova says she started preparing for retirement years before leaving tennis

Maria Sharapova says she used breaks from tennis to prepare for her second act. Kate Green/Getty Images for Cannes Lions Maria Sharapova says she started preparing for her second act years before leaving tennis. "I recognized from an early age that as a woman, my career would end much sooner than in other professions," she said. Sharapova said she used time off from tennis to take business courses and do internships. Maria Sharapova , 39, says she used injuries and time off from tennis to prepare for life after retirement. In an interview with the WSJ Leadership Institute published Tuesday, Sharapova said she began planning her next chapter years before stepping away from the sport. "I recognized from an early age that as a woman, my career would end much sooner than in other professions," Sharapova said. "I was like, 'I've got to hustle. I've got to start learning from other people.'" She said she also realized that her growing profile as a tennis star gave her "a platform" that opened doors beyond the sport. As she became more financially secure, she began making investments she hoped would "turn into solid return on investment in the future," Sharapova said. "When I was injured, or I had a break, I'd go to a business school, I would take a few weeks. I would grow, I would take internships. I went to the NBA for a few weeks to shadow Adam Silver," Sharapova said about the league's commissioner. She said she intentionally used the time off from the sport to broaden her knowledge beyond tennis. "There are elements of growth that even though you're progressing in one arena, I thought it was really critical and important to help grow in others," she said. Sharapova won her first Grand Slam title at age 17. During her career, she won four more Grand Slam titles and was the world's highest-paid female athlete for 11 consecutive years. In 2020, at age 32, she announced her retirement from professional tennis. Sharapova began building her business portfolio by launching h