Maria Sharapova, 39, says her intensity was key to some of her biggest victories.
Speaking to Gayle King at the TIME100 Summit in New York City, the tennis player said she never wanted to change herself to fit others’ expectations.
“So from a young age, I had a very steely mentality. I had a fist pump that I was really known for. And I’d get off the court, and I’d be in press conferences, and everyone would say, ‘But but it’s so intimidating. You need to soften your edges. Can you add a filter?'” Sharapova told King.
“And there was a part of me that wanted to apologize for that because I was a lady, and you know, everyone wanted to see me in that light. But ‘pretty tough’ was my mentality, and I didn’t apologize for it,” she said.
Sharapova was 17 when she captured her first Grand Slam title, defeating Serena Williams at Wimbledon in 2004. She went on to win four more majors before retiring from professional tennis at 32. At the time she stepped away from the sport, she ranked third among the highest-paid female tennis players and eighth overall.
Sharapova said she wasn’t affected by media perception or the labels placed on her, as she was fully committed to her sport.
“You know, I wasn’t, because I was so focused on doing something I deeply loved. Like, I loved being an athlete. It was a huge part of my identity. When I woke up in the morning, and I put on my sportswear, that was my shield. Like, that was my armor,” Sharapova said.
“Everyone in the players’ lounge, on the court, was in the way of my success, and I was determined. And I think I did have to pay the price of that with those taglines, as you mentioned, but they got me incredible victories because I was determined and focused,” she said.
This isn’t the first time she has spoken about navigating media scrutiny. In a June 2019 interview with Glamour, Sharapova said she treated intrusive questions as part of the job.
“Questions can get tricky and they might not fall in line with what you have prepared for them to ask you and that’s ok. That’s how life is. You get things thrown at you and you have to deliver and accept them,” she said.
Sharapova isn’t alone in speaking about life in the public eye.
In March 2025, Michelle Obama said she protects her peace by avoiding social media comments.
“But through it all, what kept us sane — and we tried to instill this in our daughters — is, you cannot live through social media,” Obama said. “I don’t think I have ever once looked at a comment section, period.”
Last week, WNBA star Angel Reese said she’s come to see social media as a distorted version of reality.
“I think we get so caught up in that. Years prior, I would comment back at things and let things continue to bother me,” Reese said, adding that she no longer tries to engage.
