Maria Sharapova has opened up on the financial rewards of winning a Grand Slam title, in comments that give a snapshot into the kind of life-changing moment Emma Raducanu lived through when she won the US Open four years ago.
Sharapova’s interview on Andy Roddick’s Served podcast was compelling from first to last, as an athlete who became a superstar way beyond the boundaries of tennis opened up on all aspects of her career and her new life as a mother and businesswoman.
Sharapova’s honesty and the comfort she felt speaking to a long-time acquaintance made for wonderful viewing and when it came to the rewards in tennis, Sharapova gave an eye-opening account of how her life changed after she won Wimbledon as a 17-year-old in 2004.
A run to the French Open quarter-finals a few weeks earlier had seen Sharapova emerge as a star in the making, but few expected her to beat Serena Williams and win the Wimbledon title at such a tender age.
With her stunning good looks and precious talent instantly ensuring her global fame after her Wimbledon triumph, Sharapova was showered with offers from sponsors who wanted a slice of her story.
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Agent Max Eisenbud, who later worked with Raducanu after her breakthrough Grand Slam win, oversaw the rise of Sharapova’s empire off the court, as she became the highest-paid female athlete in the world for many years.
And when she spoke about the finances coming her way after that famous win at the All England Club 21 years ago, Sharapova revealed the kind of finances involved in a sporting breakthrough of that magnitude.
Raducanu was handed a host of mega money sponsorship deals after she cam through qualifying and won the US Open in stunning fashion, yet her poor form since then has seen some of those deals come to an end.
Sharapova is better placed than anyone in tennis to reflect on a story like Raducanu’s, as she suggested a young player in her position has to take advantage of the financial rewards of a Grand Slam win, even though the pressure that comes with trying to hold on to a big sponsor is a huge burden to carry.
“I understand their position,” said Sharapova. “You are a young athlete and you win a Grand Slam in your sport and based on my own experience, you’re pretty much guaranteed that for the next two or three years, you are not making less than $1m on a deal, on any deal.
“Say it’s a three-year deal, at the end of the second year, (if) you are not consistent with your results and you are not going deep into second weeks at (Grand Slams), guess what?
“You are going from millions in your bank account every year to something different. At the end of that second year, every brand has their eyes on you.
“They are following your ranking, they are following your results, they are following how you are doing and every player knows that.
“So there is a part of me that understands they will pack in the s*** out of every deal and I will have a little piggy bank and who know what will happen in three years.
“Am I going to get injured? Am I never going to play at the same level? Am I going to find another interest? You never know.
“It’s a very fine balance of taking advantage which you absolutely should of a big moment in your career. To finally see that reward is significant, but you also have to understand that in two years, if your results are not consistent, no one is re-signing you.”
Raducanu’s impressive form in recent weeks suggests she is rising back to the top of the game and sponsorship deals that may have slipped away from her might now start to come back if she emerges as a contender for the top titles all over again.
The longevity Sharapova achieved in her career after that initial Grand Slam breakthrough is a model Raducanu will look to follow, as she prepares to return to the scene of her greatest triumph later this month.
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