Sharapova announces retirement from tennis at age 32

Former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova is saying goodbye to tennis.

The 32-year-old five-time Grand Slam champion announced her retirement Wednesday, citing her struggle with injuries as a key factor in her decision.

"How do you leave behind the only life you've ever known?" Sharapova wrote in an essay for Vanity Fair and Vogue. "How do you walk away from the courts you've trained on since you were a little girl, the game that you love - one which brought you untold tears and unspeakable joys - a sport where you found a family, along with fans who rallied behind you for more than 28 years?

"I'm new to this, so please forgive me. Tennis - I'm saying goodbye."

The Russian captured her first major in 2004 when she beat Serena Williams in straight sets at Wimbledon as a 17-year-old. Sharapova, who ascended to No. 1 in the world in 2005, would go on to complete the career Grand Slam by winning the US Open in 2006, the Australian Open in 2008, and two French Open titles in 2012 and 2014.

She amassed over $38 million in prize money, to say nothing of her myriad endorsement deals.

But she also received a two-year suspension in 2016 - a sentence reduced to 15 months on appeal - after testing positive for the banned substance meldonium.

Injuries, particularly the return of her longstanding shoulder problem, hampered her comeback bid following the suspension. Though she won the Tianjin Open in 2017, the 36th and final title of her career, she had since dropped to No. 373 in the world rankings.

"I share this not to garner pity, but to paint my new reality: My body had become a distraction," she wrote of her shoulder issues, which required multiple surgeries, including one in 2019.

"Throughout my career, 'Is it worth it?' was never even a question - in the end, it always was. My mental fortitude has always been my strongest weapon. Even if my opponent was physically stronger, more confident - even just plain better - I could, and did, persevere."