After stepping away from the game of tennis five years ago, fans are now pleading with Maria Sharapova to make a return to the court.
The retired Russian star sparked some buzz online after posting a video on Instagram of an intense workout session – with a few exercises that one could surmise would improve your tennis game.
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“After missing couple of weeks of strength training, I can confirm, it’s not like riding a bicycle,” Sharapova captioned the video.
The clip got several of her 4.7 million followers crossing their fingers for a comeback from the five-time Grand Slam champion.
“Please come back to the courts,” one user commented.
“Masha please come back we miss you so much,” another replied.
Outstanding career achievements
During her illustrious career, Sharapova became one of just 10 women to win an individual career Grand Slam.
The blond bombshell became an instant sensation after beating Serena Williams in the 2004 Wimbledon for her first Grand Slam title. She would go on to win the U.S Open, the Australian Open and the French Open twice.
She also became the first Russian woman to hold the No. 1 world ranking and helped her home country win the Billie Jean King Cup in 2008.
Earlier this year, she was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame.
Injuries and retirement
She retired from tennis in 2020 after dealing with several injuries and serving a 15-month doping ban in 2016.
“I’ll miss it every day. I’ll miss training and my daily routine,” she said upon her retirement. “I’ll miss my team, my coaches and sitting with my father on the practice court bench.
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“The handshakes – win or lose – and the athletes who, whether they knew it or not, pushed me to be my best.”
Shortly after her retirement, Sharapova got engaged to British businessman Alexander Gilkes. The couple welcomed a son named Theodore in 2022.
“I’m very happy with where I am at this stage of life,” Sharapova told People in a 2023 interview. “I appreciate what the sport has taught me and where it’s taken me, but I definitely love seeing it from the outside now.”