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Five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova joins tennis icon John McEnroe for a daring escapade in a new episode of McEnroe’s Places, a tennis-centric series on ESPN+.
The episode, titled 'Coming to America', features Sharapova recalling her journey from Russia to the United States as a young girl with big dreams of becoming a tennis star. The 36-year-old shares how she overcame the challenges of adapting to a new culture, language, and environment while pursuing her passion for the game.
But the episode is not all about reminiscing. Sharapova and McEnroe also set out on an exciting adventure to find a suitable tennis court to practice on. Eventually, they stumble upon one that has a sign with the words 'No Trespassing' written on it.
Sharapova is hesitant to go on the court, but McEnroe is determined to play. The American argues that they have come all this way to pursue their dreams, so a little sign isn’t going to stop them.
"Come on, Maria. You cross an ocean and a continent to pursue your dreams. What's the little sign going to do?" McEnroe says.
Sharapova eventually agrees, but only if McEnroe would call Peyton [Manning] if they got in trouble. They take a ball, a can, and a squeegee to the court, and start practicing.
Sharapova posted a clip from the episode on her Instagram on Saturday, August 5.
"Trespassing with John McEnroe is never (always!! 🤫) a good idea 💁🏼♀️Catch the episode on ESPN+ #McEnroe’sPlaces," Sharapova wrote on Instagram.
McEnroe’s Places is a series on ESPN+ that focuses on the world of tennis, hosted by McEnroe. He talks to different tennis stars from the past and present and explores what makes the sport so popular around the globe.
“I’m thankful that Peyton, Omaha, and ESPN have given me the opportunity to create McEnroe’s Places,” said McEnroe. “I have given my very best to this project so that it will be loved by diehard tennis fans and will bring new fans to participate in our great lifetime sport.”
Some of the notable guests featured on the show are Tracy Austin, Bjorn Borg, Michael Chang, Ross Chastain, Chris Evert, Peter Fleming, Taylor Fritz, Rod Laver, Patrick McEnroe, Gabriela Sabatini, Maria Sharapova, Stan Smith, and Wes Welker.
"I was an entertainer; it's such a beautiful feeling" - Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova believes she was more than just a tennis player in her prime; that she was also a performer for the crowd.
The former World No. 1 recently shared, in an interaction at the 2023 Cannes Sport Beach main stage, how she realized that the sport was not only about winning matches but also about entertaining people and making them happy with her skills on the court.
"I feel like when you're an athlete you form a connection with people and fans. I realized when I was a little older that ultimately I was an entertainer," she said.
The Russian athlete opened up on how the pressure that comes with top-level sport also provided her with the opportunity to inspire people. She said:
"That impact you try to forget because there's a lot of pressure with it, but ultimately it's such a beautiful feeling to have that you can have inspiration on other people."
