"My mother doesn't like player lounges...I don't blame her" - When Maria Sharapova revealed her mother's 'behind the scenes' influence on her

Maria Sharapova once disclosed the significant role her mother played in her tennis journey, quietly supporting her "behind the scenes."

Sharapova started playing tennis as a child and quickly caught the eye of legendary player Martina Navratilova. Following Navratilova's advice, Sharapova and her father, Yuri, moved to Florida in 1994 to train at Nick Bolletieri's academy. Her father also coached her during her early days, helping shape a career that saw her win five Grand Slam singles titles, among other achievements.

When the father-daughter duo moved to the US, Sharapova's mother, Yelena, faced a visa problem, keeping her apart from her seven-year-old daughter briefly. Fortunately, the issue was resolved and they reunited soon.

During a 2007 US Open press conference, defending champion Maria Sharapova praised her mother for her integral role in her success. The former World No. 1 noted Yelena's preference to work "behind the scenes" and shared that she was her "cultural tutor."

"She [Yelena] doesn't like to be in the scene," Sharapova said. "She does everything behind the scenes. She's like my cultural tutor. She studied with me every single day when I was growing up, Russian, English."

"I don't know, yeah, it's very interesting because when I go home, basically my dad always goes skiing or hiking or something. I get to see my mom. We get to cook, do all these things. She doesn't like the player lounges. She doesn't care to go on the court and sit there all day. I don't blame her. I wouldn't either," she added.

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Maria Sharapova on her mother watching her matches: "She doesn't, she just finds out the results"

Maria Sharapova in action at the 2007 US Open

During the same press conference, Maria Sharapova revealed that her mother, Yelena, did not watch her matches, but learned the results and loved her regardless of the outcome.

"She doesn't watch. She just finds out the results. Either way she loves me. To her it doesn't matter. She'll TiVo it and watch it with a muted sound," Sharapova said.

When asked if her mother played tennis, the Russian replied:

"Player? God, no."

Sharapova announced her retirement in February 2020. The decision came shortly following the Australian Open, where she was eliminated by Croatia's Donna Vekic in the opening round.

Approximately two years after hanging up her racquet, the Russian embarked on a new chapter of her life and welcomed her son Theodore with her fiance, British entrepreneur Alexander Gilkes.