In Pictures: Maria Sharapova joins Singer Carla Bruni on the red carpet, attends Women Empowerment convention in Dubai

Maria Sharapova recently attended the second edition of the Women Empowerment Convention staged in Dubai on April 20 and 21 at Atlantis the Royal.

Sharapova was joined by singer-songwriter and former first lady of France, Carla Bruni, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan Cultural and Educational Institutions, Her Highness Sheikha Dr. Shamma bint Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan, and German-Turkish actress Meryem Uzerli, and many more exceptional women leaders from various fields.

The theme for this year's convention was "Big Goals, Bold Choices" and brought together 100 esteemed guests under one roof to engage in discussions regarding mental health, financial independence, and personal style.

Recently, Sharapova took to Instagram story to share pictures from the events. In one video, the former World No. 1 was seen posing for a photo with the audience.

Source- Maria Sharapova's Instagram handle

In another set of pictures, the five-time Grand Slam champion posed on the red carpet.

Source- Maria Sharapova's Instagram handle

Sharapova posted a picture of herself showcasing her outfit, while in another she can be seen engaging in a conversation with Carla Bruni on the red carpet.

Source- Maria Sharapova's Instagram handle

Bruni, too, shared pictures from the event featuring Sharapova.

Source- Carla Bruni's Instagram handle

Maria Sharapova on equality of pay and sexism in sports

Maria Sharapova at the 10th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony

In 2019, Maria Sharapova expressed her views on the lack of equality in sports and prevalent sexism, in an interview with Glamour.

The former World No. 1 was asked how would she respond to the debate of equal pay in tennis. She answered that it was another thing that the female players still had to fight for, along with expressing her desire to have equality across the board and in all sports.

"I still feel like it’s a debate. Female athletes are fighting for that equality, which is the right thing to do but is it right to still be doing it in 2019? No! It’s another thing we have to fight for, and we do because it’s part of our profession and part of our life. I want equality across the entire board and across all sports," she told Glamour.

Sharapova downplayed the effect of a sexist line of questioning during press conferences. When she was asked if there was a sexist question that annoyed her, she replied there wasn't.

"No. If you look at the trajectory of an athlete’s career, it’s such a small part of our life. 10 or 15 minutes later, you go home and you’re with your family or loved one is sick, there’s more important things in life we have to worry about. Yes, you get faced with questions that are uncomfortable or you don’t feel good about, but you have to face them and give them your perspective," she said.