Maria Sharapova revisits her iconic gym photoshoot in pink high heels with the new doll box trend

Maria Sharapova shared a picture of herself dressed as a Bala Babe, recalling her iconic gym photoshoot from 2020 when she first invested in the brand. The five-time Major winner has been associated with Bala since she invested in the company on the television program Shark Tank. She retired from professional tennis in 2020 and has since invested in several business opportunities.

Shark Tank is a show in which high-profile investors entertain business pitches from aspiring entrepreneurs. Sharapova appeared as a guest investor in 2020 alongside Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, and others. She was intrigued by Bala founders Natalie Holloway and Maximilian Kislevitz, and she and Mark Cuban offered the couple $900K for a 30% stake.

Bala offers wearable ankle and wrist weights, and Sharapova took to her Instagram page to mimic a Barbie-style ad in the new doll box trend for the company. The image was an old photo shoot from 2020 when she first worked with the brand. She attempted to copy the exact pose of the "Bala Babe" and reshared it from Bala's founder.

Sharapova IG Story | Source: Instagram/@mariasharapova

Maria Sharapova IG Story | Source: Instagram/@mariasharapova

Bala uses the term "Bala Babe" to describe their core customer. As per them, a Bala Babe is a member of the Bala community - people who are active and passionate about moving their bodies and expressing themselves through fitness.

Maria Sharapova has leveraged her tennis success into business success

Maria Sharapova, Imran Amed of The Business of Fashion, Celebrates Maria Sharapova Together with Aman Essentials - Source: Getty

When Maria Sharapova's son Theo was born in 2020, the Russian-born tennis legend put her tennis career behind her to concentrate on her family and her business interests. She invested in the Supergoop sunscreen brand and wellness firm Therabody and has also been involved in ventures such as UFC, Moonpay, Clio Snacks, and Tonal.

Sharapova has a knack for making money. She earned more than $38 million across a 19-year tennis career and was much in demand for modeling assignments. She's been an ambassador for brands like Nike, Prince, and Canon. She was the highest-paid female athlete in the world for 11 consecutive years after turning pro in 2001.

In her appearance on Shark Tank, Sharapova came across as a sharp businesswoman. Rejecting one hopeful entrepreneur, she insisted that she wanted to be a hands-on business partner:

“Two-point-five percent is really nothing… I feel like I would need so much more skin in the game just to feel passionate about what I’m involved with.”

Sharapova has steadfastly rejected any notion of returning to tennis in any capacity. The 37-year-old is engaged to British entrepreneur Alexander Gilkes and is now a working mother and businesswoman, and seems to have her hands full away from the game she graced for so many years.