- Maria Sharapova has announced her surprise return to competitive sport
- She will compete in a new sport alongside former tennis star McEnroe
- The pair will win a large cash prize if they beat Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi
Former Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova has announced her surprise return to competitive sport.
The 36-year-old announced her retirement from tennis in 2020 after a spectacular career that saw her win five Grand Slams, having first shot to fame when she defeated top seed and defending champion Serena Williams on Center Court in 2004.
Sharapova appears ready to compete on the court again after announcing she will take part in the second edition of Pickleball Slam alongside former tennis star John McEnroe.
“I play pickleball,” Sharapova announced in her video message sent on social media.
‘And not just any pickle, I’m playing with John McEnroe against Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi.
Former Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova is about to make her return to the court
She will compete alongside fellow former tennis star McEnroe in a doubles match of Pickleball
“February 4 in Miami, at the Hard Rock (hotel and casino in Hollywood, Florida), it’s the Pickleball Slam 2.”
She added, “Dare I say I’m getting a little competitive, and a little nervous and anxious?
“But don’t worry, I can’t wait to see you there, tune in, watch us, support us. Let’s go team… what’s our name?’
The doubles winner will win a cash prize of £815,352 ($1 million).
Pickleball is a shortened version of tennis and is played on a smaller court with plastic balls and paddles.
It has exploded in popularity in recent years and is the fastest growing sport in the United States, with an estimated 36 million players.
The sport now has high-profile team owners, including Lebron James, Nick Kyrgios and Naomi Osaka.
Pickleball is a shortened version of tennis and is played on a smaller court with plastic balls and paddles
Sharapova rose to fame when she defeated Serena Williams on Center Court in 2004 at the age of 17
During her legendary time on the court, Sharapova became the first Russian player to complete a Grand Slam career after victories in Melbourne, New York, Paris and London, and the third-youngest woman to triumph at Wimbledon.
But her career was marred by a failed 2016 drug test, which saw Sharapova banned for two years after she was found to have taken meldonium, a substance banned early that year ahead of the Australian Open.
Her suspension was later reduced to 15 months after it emerged she had taken the drug on the advice of her doctor, and Sharapova returned to competition in April 2017, winning the Tianjin Open seven months later.
After struggling with chronic shoulder problems for several years, Sharapova announced her retirement in 2020, sharing an emotional farewell message with her followers that spoke of her deep connection to the game.