"They didn't have a junior collection at the time, so I would roll everything up & my mom would stitch it & cut it; make it into my size"- Maria Sharapova on her first brand signing

Maria Sharapova spoke about her very first brand signing, which was with Nike when she was still a junior player. The Russian was among the most marketable athletes in the world during her playing days and secured endorsement deals with numerous brands.

While speaking on The CMO Podcast, Maria Sharapova said that her first signing was with Nike when she was just 11 years old and still a youngster on the junior circuit.The 35-year-old said that the contract was a small one and that "it wasn't much of a contract."

"I mean it was a very small contract and I was still, I was still a junior, Nike signed me. And I was about 11 years old, which is pretty crazy to look back. But at the time it wasn't much of a contract," Maria Sharapova said.

The former World No. 1 also claimed that the contract had free clothes that were very large for her. She said that because Nike did not have a junior collection, she would roll the loose clothing and her mother would later adjust it to her size.

"It was just free clothes and clothing that I would just float in because it was so large for me, they didn't have a junior collection at the time, so I would roll everything up and my mom would stitch it and cut it and it all together, make it into my size," Sharapova added.

The Russian also said that sometime later, she signed a contract worth $25,000 or $50,000, which supported equipment and travel expenses.

"And then a couple of years after, I think, I had maybe a 25 or $50,000 contract which, you know, at that time was a lot of money. It, you know, supported a bit of travel, you know, with the investment that a tennis player has to make and in terms of equipment and practices and, you know, travel expenses for you and my father," she said.

As her career progressed, so did the five-time Grand Slam champion's relationship with Nike. As a matter of fact, she signed an eight-year contract with the sports brand worth £43 million in 2010.

What has Maria Sharapova been up to lately?

Sharapova gave birth to her son Theodore in July and has been pretty active on social media following her retirement from tennis in 2020.

The Russian recently posted a series of pictures on her first day of work following the birth of her son.

Maria Sharapova also commentated during the women's singles semifinal clash between Ons Jabeur and Caroline Garcia.