Achievements Beyond Dreams
Last fall, former World No. 1 Maria Sharapova underwent a shoulder operation and faded from the Tour headlines. After a 9-month absence and a 126 ranking, Sharapova resurfaced. The Russian said she had unfinished business.
Maria Sharapova returned to practice three months after surgery, the longest period of time she had gone without playing tennis. She says the absence of tennis felt “bizarre” and gave her a feeling of both stress and calm.
“I had to realize that this was going to be a long road. As an athlete, you try to anticipate your comeback and figure out when you're going to be back. I had disappointment after disappointment.”
She had withdrawn from several tournaments early in the year, but come May she says she was in the best shape of her life when she met Nadia Petrova of Russia and Na Li of China at Roland Garros. Both ladies pushed Sharapova to three sets.
“A couple of years ago, if I had played two three-setters in a row I’d be dead. I actually feel pretty good,” she said, following her victories. Petrova and Li were impressed by Sharapova’s tenacity.
“She’s strong mentally. No matter the score, she was fighting. I’d say she's the top player in the world,” said Li.
“She showed that she's a real champion and once again how she will fight till the end. You can feel her confidence and power behind the shots,” said Petrova.
Sharapova eventually fell to the 5’3” Dominika Cibulkova. “I am still a big competitor. The losses are very tough to take no matter what brave face you put on. But after going through this long process with the shoulder, I don't think I'll take the losses as emotionally bad.”
Her next test was Wimbledon. But this year, like in 2008, she was eliminated in the second round.
“I'm a competitor. I'm an athlete. I'm here to get the job done, and my job isn't done. When the tournament is over, there's always the next one.”
As Sharapova competes through the summer, she says she is committed to healing her shoulder and has adopted an abbreviated service motion to reduce strain and lengthen her career.
“Reflecting back on everything that I've been through in the last year, I think I can sit here and say I'm pretty proud of what I've achieved. I just gotta keep working, keep my head up, and keep getting better.”
