Maria Sharapova - The Rival

TENNIS

ARCHETYPE: THE RIVAL

Day 38/135

Athletic Accomplishments

From 2003-2020, Maria Sharapova was one of the biggest names in tennis. A five-time Grand Slam champion, Sharapova won all four major titles throughout her career (Wimbledon, U.S. Open, Australian Open, and 2x French Open). She won a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics and won 36 career titles. Her playing career is dotted with multiple comebacks and multiple rankings as No. 1 in the world.

At 6’2”, Sharapova’s height and length made her a presence on the court. And if you didn’t see her, you sure heard her signature grunts. As a player, Sharapova could be described as strong, skilled, and stalwart. But according to her coaches, her biggest asset and differentiator was her toughness.

In 2016, Sharapova tested positive for a banned substance—meldonium—and received a 2-year suspension from the International Tennis Federation. Though her ban was later shortened to 15 months, she was not allowed to represent Russia in the 2016 Olympics.

There was a lot of controversy over Sharapova’s use of the substance—whether she had been warned or received/read the warnings, whether/why her doctor had prescribed the drug—but perhaps most notable is that fellow competitors in tennis didn’t have much sympathy for Sharapova. Some, including Roger Federer, even requested the ITF conduct more anti-doping tests following her suspension.

Sharapova ranks 3rd all-time in prize money earnings and was the highest paid female athlete for 11 consecutive years, earning $285 million (including prize money) since she turned pro in 2001.

Character Archetype: The Rival

You know who else was a household name in tennis during Maria Sharapova’s playing career? Serena.
You know who beat Sharapova 19 of the 21 times they played? Serena.
And you know who never had a doping suspension in her career? Serena.

Though Sharapova was one of the best tennis players from 2001 until her retirement in 2020, she will always have a bitter aftertaste. A big part of it is her 2016 doping suspension, which tarnishes her career. But there’s also something wrong about the fact that while Serena was out there kicking Sharapova’s ass, Sharapova was out-earning Serena on endorsements.

What exactly made Sharapova more marketable? And when you list off those attributes, don’t they feel like coded language for “she’s a pretty white girl”? Sure, don’t hate the player, hate the game. But if both are complicit, then just throw your support behind Serena.