'So plan B was okay': Maria Sharapova emotionally opens up about life lessons from father Yuri Sharapov
Maria Sharapova
, on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast in August 2025, shared something very personal: she told how her father, Yuri Sharapov, gave her and her family the greatest gift. She explained that 'success wasn't my parents' plan', and that having a safety net allowed her dreams to grow without fear.
Because of Yuri, she and her family always had a plan B- back home, a roof and a place to return, if tennis didn't work out. That strong base shaped her choices on and off court.
Maria Sharapova reveals how father Yuri Sharapov gave her the greatest gift
Maria Sharapova said that her father Yuri made sure the family had everything they needed where they came from. That meant they could dream big, but they also had a home to fall back on if things didn't go well.
"I think one of the greatest gifts that my father provided me and my family was that we had everything we needed where we came from. And so plan B was okay. Success wasn't our only plan or my parents' plan. If it didn't work out, we could go back to a lifestyle where we had a roof over our head,"
Maria Sharapova said.
The Maria Sharapova Interview | Served with Andy Roddick
Then she added something simple and wise:
'But the greatest gift he gave me was making sure that you just wake up and commit. You do what you have to … and that good week turns into a month and that month turns into a year.'
She spoke of Yuri's lesson of steady hard work, day by day and how that made her who she is.
Even now, Maria Sharapova still turns to her father for advice, whether for business decisions or life questions. She said Yuri always told her to give her best and let things unfold naturally, and that he never saw himself as above anyone.
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Maria Sharapova shares how Yuri Sharapov shaped her
tennis journey
from childhood
Maria Sharapova was born in April 1987, to Yuri Sharapova and Yelena, in Gomel, Byelorussian SSR. They left soon after her birth because of fears about the effects of the Chernobyl accident.
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When she was about six, Yuri Sharapov met Aleksandr Kafelnikov and got her a first racquet. That sparked her love for tennis.
By 1993, she attended a clinic led by Martina Navratilova, who urged Yuri to move the family to the United States so Maria could train and grow. In 1994, Yuri took her to Florida on a small budget, just US$700 and worked odd jobs so she could train at the Nick Bollettieri Academy.
For about twenty years, Yuri Sharapov coached her and laid the foundation for her tennis career. Maria acknowledged that only because of that early guidance could she follow the path he paved.
Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
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