Maria Sharapova’s life has always been measured in big moments, Grand Slam titles, Olympic medals, endorsement deals, and record-breaking paydays. Retirement hasn’t slowed her much, it’s just shifted the arena. Now, the five-time Grand Slam champion’s schedule is filled with board meetings, family trips, and life with her two-year-old son, Theodore, whom she welcomed in 2022 with husband Alexander Gilkes.
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From Grand Slam Saturdays to Paw Patrol: Maria Sharapova's new chapter
For over a decade, Saturdays meant one thing to Maria Sharapova: winning. As a five-time Grand Slam singles champion and former World No. 1, she lived for those final weekends, hoisting trophies in tennis’s biggest arenas. But these days, the rhythm is different. Instead of Centre Court, there are farmers’ markets in California. Instead of a global tour schedule, there are family trips to Europe.
And instead of match points, there are mealtime negotiations with a toddler named Theodore. Since retiring from tennis, Sharapova, now 38, has embraced motherhood, business leadership, and the ultimate honor awaiting her later this year, induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Speaking on Andy Roddick’s podcast Served, she shared how her Saturdays have transformed, how she’s navigating parenting in privilege, and why she’s still just as competitive, even without a racket in hand.
The Saturday plot twist nobody saw coming
When Roddick asked how her Saturdays had changed, Sharapova laughed. ‘Saturday used to be my favorite day, that’s Grand Slam final day, that’s where I wanted to be. And now? It’s like… no school, no camp, where’s my nanny? Suddenly I’m thinking maybe Saturday isn’t my favorite day anymore”.
Life with her son Theodore, born in 2022 with British businessman Alexander Gilkes, is unpredictable, sometimes it’s Paw Patrol marathons, sometimes it’s hopping on a plane to the UK to visit family.
Back home in California, Saturdays might mean a stroll through the farmers’ market, cooking together, and enjoying their tight-knit little family. It’s a quieter life, but not without purpose. As she put it, “I try to pass along the lessons I grew up with, nothing comes easy, you have to work for things, but I have no idea when those lessons actually start sinking in. He’s my first child; I’m still figuring it out.”
From highest-paid athlete to boardroom player
Retirement didn’t slow Sharapova down; it just moved her from the baseline to the boardroom, a place where the only grunting happens when someone sees the coffee bill. In 2023, she joined the Board of Directors at luxury fashion house Moncler, proving that if you’re going to trade Centre Court for conference calls, you might as well do it wrapped in Italian wool. For 11 straight years, she topped Forbes’ list as the highest-paid female athlete, and now she’s turned that winning streak into a business portfolio sleeker than her forehand.
These days, instead of smashing aces, she’s smashing quarterly targets; instead of analyzing opponents’ weaknesses, she’s analyzing market trends. The competitive fire is still there, only now it’s aimed at crushing profit margins instead of second serves. Sure, the roar of the crowd has been replaced by polite claps in meeting rooms, but make no mistake: if PowerPoint slides came with trophies, her shelf would already be full.
Ready for her hall of fame encore
Later this year, Sharapova will trade her board seat for a spotlight as she’s inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on August 23rd. She’ll share the stage with doubles legends Bob and Mike Bryan, officially cementing her place among the sport’s immortals, as if the five Grand Slam titles, Olympic silver, and decade-long dominance weren’t already enough.
The event will be a far cry from the sweaty, nerve-wracking Saturdays of her past; no match point pressure, no line judges with questionable eyesight, and the only tie-break will be over who gets the last canapé. Unlike toddler playdates, there’s a start time that people actually respect, no one throws a tantrum mid-ceremony (hopefully), and the champagne flows freely without anyone yelling ‘Mama!’ Saturdays may have lost their magic in her personal calendar, but this one? This one’s worthy of a victory twirl, minus the wristbands.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Maria Sharapova will be officially inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on August 23, 2025 in a ceremony alongside doubles greats Bob and Mike Bryan.
Since her 2020 retirement, Sharapova has shifted focus to motherhood, business ventures, and corporate leadership, including joining the Board of Directors at luxury fashion brand Moncler.
Sharapova has successfully moved from sports to entrepreneurship, applying her competitive mindset to brand building, corporate strategy and luxury investments.
Maria Sharapova is married to British businessman Alexander Gilkes. The couple welcomed their first child, Theodore, in 2022.
Sharapova has built a high-end business portfolio, including her work with Moncler, her candy brand Sugarpova, and other investments in fashion, wellness and luxury industries.
