The shoulder injury forced Maria Sharapova to close the season prematurely after the first-round defeat of the US Open against her eternal rival Serena Williams. 2019 was a year of poor satisfaction for Sharapova, at least from a sporting point of view.
Continuing on the same trend as in 2018, the Russian had a background role and she wasn’t among the protagonists of WTA year. Parallel to her negative season on the court, Sharapova is having a great career as a successful businesswoman, varying her investments and consolidating her image beyond tennis.
But first of all, Masha is a tennis player. And as a tennis player, despite the problems of the last three seasons, she can and must still give a lot to tennis. Wo criticizes her should leave her alone. Her charisma and determination, as well as her rivalry with Serena Williams, were always a source of pride for the WTA Tour, which found its symbol player in the Siberian.
“The primary goal is to come back to stay healthy, get to work and plan a 2020 smart schedule. I want to say mine in 2020 and stay healthy. The shoulder has been my weak point for many years. This year it deteriorated considerably.
I wasn’t able to compete for most of the season. But these are the ups and downs that any athlete has to face. I have the right motivation to improve, and I know there are no limits when one wants to reach something.” she said some week ago.
Her mental strength can give her new impetus for the next season. But, as Sharapova herself said, her body must be intact. If physically at the top, Sharapova can be a formidable opponent for all her rivals. She will be able to come back competitive and win titles only if she recovers from physical problems: at the top-shape then she will really be able to take back the leading role and leave the role of background actress to the others.
Her come-back cannot be just a utopia. With about a month ahead to heal, Sharapova can look at the Australian swing with more serenely.
