Maria Sharapova inspired by Rafael Nadal
Maria Sharapova wants to attack fully again in 2020. She gets inspiration for this from, among others, Rafael Nadal .
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit:
Dec 22, 2019, 10:15 pm
No, Maria Sharapova didn't always have it easy after her doping ban. The Russian woman was very rarely able to match her level of days past, and the 32-year-old also had to deal with injuries time and again. Nevertheless, Sharapova really wants to know it again next year.
"I love what I do. I think you can see that when I'm on the field and able to compete," said Sharapova, who only played in eight tournaments in the past season and was number 131 in the WTA world rankings fell back. "When I get up, all I think about is putting on sports clothes and working to become a better tennis player," Sharapova still refuses to give up.
The former world number one draws inspiration from Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard has also suffered from injuries in his career, but is currently at the top of the ATP rankings and will try to break Roger Federer's Grand Slam record next year.
Sharapova feels the fire
"I am impressed with his entire career," Sharapova scattered to Mallorcan Rosen. "He's really smart about his tournament schedule. You have to make the right decisions. It's definitely something I can learn from him," Sharapova said.
That is exactly what she had planned for 2020. The start of the new season has already been successful: the 32-year-old prevailed against Ajla Tomljanovic at an exhibition in Abu Dhabi. But that is only the beginning. Because, according to Sharapova: "I still feel the fire in me."