Maria Sharapova On Knowing When to Walk Away

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Transcript

00:00At any point in your tennis career, do you say, I've had enough and I'm just going to retire at the top?

00:06Or how much? Athletes sometimes stay a little bit longer than they should.

00:09You didn't do that, but did you ever worry about that problem, staying too long?

00:14It's a great question, and it's one that I think every athlete finds a different answer to.

00:20Mine came a little bit later than when I would have liked.

00:23I think stubbornness was a great quality that shaped a lot of my victories,

00:28but in the end of my career, I think it became a flaw

00:33because I was so stubborn to get healthy, for my shoulder to recover.

00:38I was also at an age where just my body didn't recover as quickly,

00:42and so for a year or two, that stubbornness got in the way of other great things in my life.

00:46What would you say is the thing you're most proud of having done as a tennis player?

00:50Was it winning Wimbledon? What was the highlight of your tennis career?

00:54I'd say consistency.

00:55I think consistency is you can have results,

00:59and they could come at various times in your career,

01:02but I was consistent for many years, and you have to show up.

01:08You don't just show up to play first round of the finals,

01:10but you have to show up for press conferences after, before every match,

01:14before every tournament, and just the consistency and the mental wear and tear

01:19of showing up week in, week out, so I felt like I consistently showed up for my team,

01:25for my sponsors, and for a long period of time, I'd say that as I look back, I'm proud of that.