John McEnroe on convincing Maria Sharapova to make tennis comeback: "We're gonna stick to pickleball"

John McEnroe disclosed that he and Maria Sharapova will focus on playing pickleball, in response to inquiries about persuading the Russian to make a tennis comeback.

Sharapova will join forces with McEnroe to take on Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi at Pickleball Slam 2. The highly anticipated second edition of the Pickleball Slam is scheduled to take place on February 4, 2024, at the prestigious Seminole Hardrock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

During a recent promotional shoot for the Slam, Maria Sharapova took to social media to engage with her fans and followers. She asked them to send in their questions, which she would then pose to the American.

One of the fans requested John McEnroe to persuade Sharapova to make a comeback in tennis, to which the seven-time Grand Slam winner declined, stating that they both would focus on playing "pickleball for the moment."

"Umm we're gonna stick to pickleball for the moment," McEnroe replied.

Maria Sharapova's Instagram story

"Toward the end of my career, I tried very hard to get my body back in shape and a lot of that came from stubbornness" - Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova at the 2020 Australian Open

Maria Sharapova may have bid farewell to tennis, but the five-time Grand Slam champion's love for the sport has not faded in the slightest.

Earlier this month, during an interview with Tennis Canada, Sharapova discussed a wide array of topics, including her entrepreneurial ventures, passion for fashion, and her experiences on the tennis court.

Looking back on the latter part of her career, the Russian talked about her relentless efforts to regain physical fitness towards the end, mentioning that her body stubbornly refused to cooperate.

The former World No. 1 acknowledged that her determination to continue was largely fueled by her own stubbornness, a trait she eventually had to relinquish.

“Toward the end of my career, I tried very, very hard to get my body back in shape and injury-free," Maria Sharapova said. "And a lot of that came from my stubbornness because I truly believed I could repair my ligaments and my tendons in my shoulder just if I worked harder.”

“And sometimes, you have to let go of that stubbornness in order for there to be more beautiful things in your life to open up,” she added.

Sharapova added that her experience on the WTA tour made her realize the limitations of being available for others, given that tennis players are constantly on the move for approximately 11 months each year.

“You have to be okay with the fact that you’re not always going to be there for someone if you have a career that entails you to be on the road for 10-11 months,” she said. “But first and foremost, I knew the one thing I was strong at was tennis