“Fun to see how much I giggle, but also how frustrated I can get” – Maria Sharapova channels her competitive spirit ahead of Pickleball Slam 2

Maria Sharapova is all set to make her pickleball debut on Saturday, February 4, in Pickleball Slam 2. She will partner John McEnroe to take on the pair of Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi.

Pickleball Slam 2 will be held at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The winners will take home a prize money of $1 million. The tournament's inaugural edition was played in April 2023, when Agassi paired up with Andy Roddick to defeat McEnroe and Michael Chang.

Sharapova has already transitioned to a full-time businesswoman after drawing the curtain on her professional tennis career in February 2020. Now she readies herself for the pickleball challenge, which would require her to modify her swings and sprints. One thing that, however, remains unchanged is her fighting spirit.

Ahead of the million-dollar competition, Sharapova sat down with Forbes for a chat. She suggested that the competitors in the other three legends, including Graff, McEnroe, and Agassi, would add to the thrill.

“I think all the legends on the court come from very competitive backgrounds, and there will be no holding back, which will make it so much more exciting and fun," she said.

The Russian further added that even though she has been giggling her way into becoming a pickleball pro, there are moments that trigger the aggression.

"Every time I play, it's been really fun to see how much I giggle, but also how frustrated I can get during some of the games," Maria Sharapova added.

The five-time Grand Slam champion also expressed optimism about pickleball's future. She said:

“On the business side, it’s definitely growing, and how could it not? The engagement across the country is extremely high. You can see why people are really having fun with it.”

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Maria Sharapova's 5 Grand Slam triumphs

Maria Sharapova lifts French Open 2014 women's singles trophy.

Maria Sharapova retired from professional tennis in the year 2020 but not before completing the Career Grand Slam.

She won her first Grand Slam title in 2004 by defeating Serena Williams in the final at Wimbledon. At the time, she was only 17 years old. With the win, she notably broke into the top 10 of WTA singles rankings for the first time in her career.

Two years later, Sharapova lifted her second Major trophy. She defeated Belgium's Justine Henin 6-4, 6-4 in the US Open 2006 final. She added a third piece of Grand Slam silverware to her trophy cabinet by winning the Australian Open in 2008.

In 2012, Maria Sharapova clinched the thus-far elusive French Open trophy by overcoming Sara Errani in the final. She won the claycourt Major again in 2014 with a win over Simona Halep in the decider.