Maria Sharapova believes no current WTA player can be considered her successor

Maria Sharapova (Source: Twitter)

Former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova believes that there's no player currently who can be considered her heir. The Russian legend entered the world of tennis as a teenager, and a decade of passion and hard work and consistency put her on the list of the world's biggest stars. There are players that play in a similar manner to Sharapova's hard-hitting style, but nobody have her star power at the moment, which makes her unique.

The only Russian to achieve a career Grand Slam, Sharapova has won the prestigious award five times - Wimbledon 2004, US Open 2006, Australian Open 2008, French Open 2012 and 2014. Her maiden Wimbledon Championship win was at the age of 17, making her the fourth youngest Major winner in the Open era. She attained the WTA World No. 1 at the age of 18 years and 125 days, the fifth-youngest woman to do so.

She has a total of 36 titles to her name, behind only Venus Williams (49) on the list of active players who have won more. Apart from her tennis career, Sharapova was also a superstar off the court who was equally successful in various endeavors such as her business affairs.

Since Sharapova's retirement in 2020, several players have been compared to her. However, in a recent interview with Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport, the legendary player admitted that she doesn't see her heir on the horizon. At the same time, she also acknowledged that many are great players in their own style.

“At the moment I don't see my heir on the horizon. There are excellent players with different styles. The formula for success is not easy to achieve, you need a perfect balance between the game, commitments with sponsors and free time," Sharapova said.

Sharapova can never be replaced or copied: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

While the 36-year-old does not see her heir on the WTA circuit at the moment, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, her compatriot, believes there will never be one to replace or copy her.

"Maria Sharapova, she's Maria Sharapova. For me it's just like in tennis or every sport, there are some special athletes who you have, and they will never be replaced or copied or, you know. So she's one of them for me for sure. I think for me I always admired. I was impressed by her fighting spirit and character," Pavlyuchenkova said.