Pickleball is gaining steam as more and more tennis players are trying themselves out in this ever more popular racquet sport. Maria Sharapova is the latest to join the craze and we will even see her compete in Florida next year.
Soon after 2014 Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard transitioned to professional pickleball, retired tennis ace Sharapova announced that she will team up with John McEnroe at Pickleball Slam 2 in February 2024. Their opposing team will be fellow tennis legends, Steffi Graf and her husband Andre Agassi.
Sharapova announced on her Instagram profile:
It’s official. I am playing pickleball. And not just any pickleball, I am playing with John McEnroe, against Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi.
The desire to win is still burning in the five-time Grand Slam champion:
Dare I say I’m getting a little competitive, and slightly nervous and anxious? But don’t mind me. I can’t wait to see you there. Tune in, watch us, support us.
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The event will take place in Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Exact time and date: 8:30 p.m. on February 4, 2024.
Is Sharapova also planning a return to tennis? A video of her recent gym session has sparked speculation, as Australian tennis player Daria Saville commented: “I’m smelling another comeback. No one does specific exercises like this just to ‘feel’ good.”
The 36-year-old Sharapova retired in February 2020 and gave birth to her first child, a son named Theodore, in July 2022.
