Transition from tennis has been tough, says retired Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova

Former World No. 1 tennis ace Maria Sharapova retired from the sport in February after 19 years on the WTA Tour. However, given the Coronavirus-caused lockdown which began a month after her retirement, she is obviously not enjoying the transition.

"I was ready for the transition [post-retirement] and I set up a really good base for myself. But this transition is different than I thought because of what we're all facing in today's environment," Maria told men's World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in an online chat recently.

The five-time Grand Slam champ said her body is yet to adjust to the reduction in physical stress given the struggles she's been through during her injury-prone career.

"I was very stubborn with my body. I struggled a lot with it because I kept thinking I could pass the hurdles [injuries] and get better. It's been a transitional relief that I'm not putting my body through that anymore but there are some things that I still carry in this transition. Last night, in my basement I went on the stationary bike at a 172 heart rate, and I'm like, 'Why am I doing this?' " she added.

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