.MariaSharapova announced her retirement from tennis this week.
)."Shoulder injuries are nothing new for me — over time my tendons have frayed like a string. I've had multiple surgeries — once in 2008; another procedure last year — and spent countless months in physical therapy," Maria wrote."I share this not to garner pity, but to paint my new reality: My body had become a distraction."
Maria continued,"In giving my life to tennis, tennis gave me a life. I'll miss it everyday. I'll miss the training and my daily routine: Waking up at dawn, lacing my left shoe before my right, and closing the court's gate before I hit my first ball of the day. I'll miss my team, my coaches. I'll miss the moments sitting with my father on the practice court bench. The handshakes — win or lose — and the athletes, whether they knew it or not, who pushed me to be my best.
A powerful section from Maria's essay reads,"Looking back now, I realize that tennis has been my mountain. My path has been filled with valleys and detours, but the views from its peak were incredible." She went on to say she's looking forward to being with her family, enjoying her morning cup of coffee, going on weekend getaways, and"Tennis showed me the world — and it showed me what I was made of," Maria concluded.
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