Things Maria Sharapova wants addressed in women’s tennis

• Maria Sharapova still has a powerful voice in tennis
• Five-time Grand Slam champion Sharapova is on the elite list of players who has won all four majors
• Sharapova has raised several critical issues regarding women’s tennis

Maria Sharapova still has a powerful voice in tennis, so her comments surrounding the current state of the women’s game will set alarm bells ringing.

Five-time Grand Slam champion Sharapova is on the elite list of players who has won all four majors and her status as one of the most famous female athletes endured throughout her career.

Now she believes women’s tennis chiefs need to shine a brighter light on the game away from the Grand Slam championships, as she suggested sports fans around the world are not engaged in the sport outside of the biggest events.

Speaking during a Bloomberg Live event, the tennis legend suggested the WTA should be doing more to promote champions like Coco Gauff, as she suggested the young America’s first event after her US Open win last month did not get enough publicity.

Maria Sharapova is now an investor and entrepreneur. Photo/Getty Images

Sharapova has raised several critical issues regarding women’s tennis. She pointed out the challenge of maintaining visibility for women’s tennis beyond the Grand Slam championships.

She used the example of Gauff’s victory at the US Open, which captured a diverse audience blending culture, sport, and fashion.

Sharapova stressed the importance of sustaining that momentum, lamenting that many fans were unaware of Gauff’s subsequent tournament in Beijing just three weeks later, highlighting the need for better promotion of non-Grand Slam events.

Sharapova praised Gauff as a valuable addition to women’s tennis due to her talent, voice, and established platform. She sees Gauff as a role model for the sport.

She also addressed the glaring pay disparity between men’s and women’s tennis, referring to significant differences in prize money between men’s and women’s tournaments.

While Grand Slam events celebrate equal prize money, this disparity persists throughout the rest of the tennis calendar, necessitating immediate attention.

Furthermore, Sharapova expressed scepticism about the prospects of a merger between the ATP and WTA Tours in the near future.

She recognized the complexity of aligning the tennis calendar and creating engaging experiences with multiple entities involved, including the ATP, WTA, and ITF.

She believes that addressing these issues is essential for the future of women’s tennis, even if it takes time to achieve the necessary changes.

Maria Sharapova is among the famous athletes in Russia. Photo/Sports Illustrated

In a reflective interview, Sharapova acknowledges the transformative impact of her career-defining victory over Serena Williams, which changed her life.

She recollects her journey, from being a young girl who moved from Russia to the United States with her father, with small talent but grand ambitions.

At the age of 17, Sharapova found herself in the Wimbledon finals, facing Serena Williams on the sport’s grandest stage.

Although she initially saw it as just a tennis match and an opportunity to wear a nice dress, it turned into a lesson in the significance of partnerships and victory.

Following her win, Sharapova realized that sports were about much more than simply winning or losing; it was also a business and a platform for athletes to have a voice.

This revelation came to her as she navigated the media rounds in New York.