One of the biggest stars in the sport of tennis over the past two decades is walking away from the game.

On Feb. 26, Maria Sharapova announced that her time on the court has come to end. Now, the news of her retirement has brought questions from fans including how she is and what her net worth is. Read on to find out those answers, plus what Sharapova just wrote in an essay about retiring.

Maria Sharapova | Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Sharapova’s age

Maria Yuryevna Sharapova was born on April 19, 1987, in Nyagan, Russia to parents Yuri and Yelena.

She first picked up a racket when she was just 4 years old and attended a tennis clinic in Moscow as a youngster. While there, it was recommended that Sharapova receive professional training at the IMG Academy in Florida, which is the same place where Andre Agassi and Anna Kournikova trained. Sharapova’s father decided to move to the U.S. at that time and when she was 9, he was able to enroll her in the academy.

Sharapova enjoyed success shortly after her professional career began. In 2004, she won a singles title at Wimbledon and became Russia’s first female to do so. Then in 2006, she earned her second Grand Slam title with a victory at the U.S. Open.

Maria Sharapova | Al Bello/Getty Images

Sharapova had several more highs in her career winning a total of five Grand Slams and even a silver medal after Serena Williams took home the gold in the 2012 London Olympics. But those career highs also came with some lows and she battled a shoulder injury for several years. Then in 2016, she revealed that she had failed a drug test by testing positive for Mildronate, which she had been taking since 2006 for her health issues.

Her net worth

Sharapova has built an impressive net worth and for years held the title of top-earning female athlete. Not only did she rake in plenty of dough by playing the sport and winning tournaments, but she also has had a number of endorsement deals.

She appeared in commercials for Land Rover and Canon, as well as in ads for the watch brand Tag Heuer and the retail jeweler Tiffany. In addition to those endorsements, she also inked deals with Nike, Gatorade, Tropicana, and was named a brand ambassador for Porsche.

According to Forbes, her net worth is estimated to be as high as $195 million.

Sharapova penned an essay on her retirement

But many are wondering why Sharapova is stepping away from the court at the age of 32. Well, in an essay for Vanity Fair, the tennis star was candid and open about why she felt she needed to retire now and it has to do with that nagging shoulder injury.

She admitted that she has now faced the reality that her “body had become a distraction.”

She leaves the game with these words of wisdom, “As I embark on my next chapter, I want anyone who dreams of excelling in anything to know that doubt and judgment are inevitable: You will fail hundreds of times, and the world will watch you. Accept it. Trust yourself. I promise that you will prevail.”

Read more: Is Maria Sharapova Engaged to Prince William and Prince Harry’s Close Friend, Alexander Gilkes?

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Source: Cheatsheet.com

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