Tennis Legend Maria Sharapova on the Secret to Winning | The Deal

Maria Sharapova, the global tennis icon who spent her career defeating the sport’s best, is looking for some losers. On the premiere episode of The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly, she tells us exactly what she means.
For many, Sharapova is a figure frozen in time. It was 2004 when she stunned Serena Williams on Centre Court to win her first Wimbledon and first Grand Slam. Sharapova would go on to become (like Williams) one of the most recognized tennis players of her generation. These days, however, she’s turned her laser focus to dealmaking.
Even as she was climbing to the top of the tennis world, the Russian-born star was already building a business resume-these days she’s reportedly worth in excess of $200 million.
Now with her tennis career behind her, all of those off-court projects have become a full-time job. With an attitude forged in the highest-pressure sporting arenas, she approaches a range of partnerships with a sly worldliness. One thing she’s keen to find? People who have seen it all go sideways. Sharapova says that only those who have lost can eventually win.
Listen to The Deal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, Bloomberg Carplay, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also watch The Deal on Bloomberg Originals and Bloomberg TV.
00:00 - 03:06: Introduction
03:06 - 14:14 Early days and Maria’s relationship with her dad
14:14 - 16:46 IMG Academy
16:46 - 17:34 Signing with Nike at 11 years old
17:34 - 23:34 Winning Wimbledon for the first time
23:34 - 26:04 The story behind Maria’s Motorola deal
26:04 - 31:09 Alex & Maria on the deals they missed
31:09 - 33:04 Why Alex owes Maria some deals
33:04 - 36:01 Why Maria decided to retire
36:01 - 38:29 Maria’s investment philosophy & Supergoop!
38:29 - 42:21 How the pressure of sports translates to business
42:21 - 46:18 Maria’s 5 year plan
46:18 - 50:16 The future of tennis
#MariaSharapova #Sports #Business
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[@KB-dn6mh]

Maria is so well spoken and intelligent. Always enjoy listening to her.

[@A_friendwithoutbenefits]

Don’t be fooled by the beauty. I watched her throughout her career, Maria is one of the mentally toughest players ever to play tennis, male or female. Never had a tantrum on court, never got down on herself, always channeled her frustrations into positive energy. Only other player I can say the same about is Rafael Nadal. Even Federer, Djokovic and Serena had meltdowns.

[@user-yd4nk4lm6s]

100%. She is tough. I respect her a lot.

[@miguelcunanan9855]

I am humbled by this interview. I am guilty of, way more often than not, vilifying her for no reason at all; just cuz I was rooting for Serena I somehow made her the enemy. What a wholesome individual. Her and Vika have so much insight that they can share with the next generation. Congratulations on everything, Maria.

[@youssefanajar4061]

Her mindset is incredible. Very inspiring discussion 👏🏼

[@martins.28]

I simply love Maria and her ability to find the right words for the important things. She’s absolutely right about the dangers of telling your self that you got it. Too often I fell into that trap when I studied for exams or in other parts of my life. That’s why Maria is one of my absolute idols and a huge source of inspiration. Great podcast!

[@DoDoTeVe]

"You control everything. If you are passionate about something, if you wanna get something done, you do it. Don't rely on others."

[@Jibaru134]

She's UNIQUE ✨️What a legacy Maria !

[@estefania7476]

Cada vez que veo y escucho a Masha en algunas entrevistas me sorprende su inteligencia al responder y es tan lindo escucharla hablar de diferentes temas. Hermosa entrevista, gracias por traer a Masha, una grande del tenis y que se la extraña en las canchas!!👏🏼

[@ecoledahanidemodelisme1489]

What a champion you are Maria ! What a mindset ,what a legacy !

[@bernardbarroga1497]

Beauty +Brain=Maria Sharapova!❤

[@waldolydecker8118]

+ Dope

[@krishnakumar2390]

My role model since decades, Sharapova, Maria.

[@piyushagrawal5676]

Maria has given tennis so much....she was the centre of attraction throughout her career....

[@um567]

I miss this amazing champion so much. I have lost interest in tennis after her retirement. Lots of love from Pakistan 🇵🇰💗

[@Lovingdogsclub]

Oh, you miss her 😂😂😂

[@Jibaru134]

Really miss this Champion! A true legend 🔥👏

[@justtestingonce]

Let’s not forget the benefits of being blonde. She did dope.😊

[@helsbels991]

@@justtestingonce did being blonde help her win wimbledon?

[@krishnakumar2390]

@@justtestingonce her drugs was legal all the years she taken and ain't a ped.

[@jrblanco2523]

A-Rod is a phenomenal athlete and I had no idea he was from the Dominican Republic. I had known about A-Rod through his relationships. Now as a business mind...wow!

[@OHW313]

Maria's insights were great-- encouraged me to listen carefully to her.😊

[@cherylbrigham46]

Love you maria what a star ❤ 😊

[@TheFever77]

I never could stand Maria but I like how she's matured and this interview definitely held my attention.

[@pierredaher9590]

me 2

[@Clyde]

Whoa Maria is an ALL IN PODCAST fan! I love the besties too..i have learnt so much from those guys

[@loslez]

Such a great conversation! Maria was awesome!

[@kecleonboi]

I admire her energy and drive so much. I’m not so much interested in business my self, but I want the same belief and confidence that she exudes.

[@dannyh1189]

As a tennis fan… deeper appreciation for Maria but was impressed with Alex… the entire country knows who he is and loves the guy but didn’t know much else about him. It was nice to see him in any context other than just a guy on the field.

[@jrblanco2523]

I think her North Star was the pitch. The pitch to invest. When she invested in the lotion company. It was spontaneous, passionate, relevant and very daring, though that has not been her most value-added investment. That was her career as tennis player. I love her respect for her Mom and Dad.

[@ayoubelarif1782]

The LEGEND ❤ Such a class and charisma!

[@sachadevelle]

Brilliant, loved the questions from Rodriguez 👏

[@raing7295]

Love Sharapova!!!

[@LPAlvarezS]

She’s such an interesting person, very smart and direct.

[@sebastianmonsalve6792]

This is great! Good conversation...

[@hololeung]

her attitude of being an athlete is just amazing!

[@pierdomenicosommati443]

I actually find her much more nice, charming and interesting than when she was playing. it was a nice discovery for me.

[@keithhayes844]

Am I the only one who thinks it’s ironic Simona Halep is currently serving time for a drug suspension? Unlike Halep, Sharapova is classy enough not to kick her when she’s down.

[@gregbromberg5427]

I love how she gently calls b&ll$h*t in this interview a few times. She’s quick, smart, and tough. Her directness must come from her Russian parents.

[@jrblanco2523]

This is a great time for change. I really am convinced that the transformation in the sport is in the outlook. I really don't like how women are treated in any sports, but particularly in tennis.

[@endogenetic]

She called Kirilenko a colleague 🤔 what an interesting choice of words

[@pierdomenicosommati443]

I noticed this thing too... she also cared to specify that her name was Maria, though (so that everybody would've been able to sort out the colleague she was talking about without actually mentioning her😁)

[@chrisl1034]

Kirilenko was her only friend on tour.

[@sonnyyombo2230]

Interesting and good insight

[@someonelikex]

10:49 I find it somewhat frustrating when interviewers talk too much about themselves. If they want to express their own views, perhaps they should seek another platform. After all, an interview is supposed to be focused on the person being interviewed, not the interviewer themselves.

[@anniejohnson5165]

Great podcast!

[@KhoiNguyens]

inspirational.

[@joaonunoreis557]

Great podcast.

[@kuanyshshekerbekov8623]

Such a great interview. Thank you! Liked how she responded to the imposter syndrome question

[@azenith9589]

Very smart woman ! Kudos Maria ❤

[@piyushagrawal5676]

During her suspension she got lots of hate from tennis world but in halep case everyone is supporting her... hypocrisy at its peak

[@minguyen2589]

@22:33 why couldnt she mention Dementieva and Myskina by names? Myskina still does some commentating in Russian programs and always talks about Sharapova very fairly and with respect... Kuznetsova as well... why couldnt Sharapova mention their names? Anyway, Sharapova is really sharp, smart and intelligent... but might be difficult to work next to her or under her :) a bit intimidating

[@user-yd4nk4lm6s]

Myskina was so cruel in the early years and even said that Maria is not a real Russian (her family is originally from Belarus).

[@chrisl1034]

Because they didn't think she was a real Russian

[@davewilliams3234]

Legend 😊

[@mrobinson]

So luv that Maria, whom I've always admired, whose husband is like my fashion inspiration, is on the money!

[@j_cbat]

working with people who know how to fail is very good advice

[@kookajoy]

Queen ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@marcelredplanet3765]

She is so smart and insightful. She would make an amazing coach. Her determination and focus were second best of her generation (after Serena, of course). Great Interview!

[@tatyanamelnik7472]

Maria ❤

[@paulelverstone8677]

Wow! just listen to her. Different sport - still competing. Kudos to her...

[@Ksp0626]

Arod is the ultimate hustler man love this new show.. kelly a beast too.

[@rockrun3732]

Would have loved to hear more about how her experience with roxadustat translates into business

[@AFCompany]

That is halep. Sharapova was using meldonium which still has not been proven to enhance performance.

[@rockrun3732]

@@AFCompany But it was still banned and she still served a doping suspension so..... the question stands......

[@AFCompany]

@@rockrun3732 ya but roxadustat has always been banned. Sharapova was using a drug that just got banned two weeks prior. A little different.

[@Moefan1342]

I miss her, i love the dark hair

[@user-bz5tf2fx1z]

She's wonderful🌌🪐

[@ngstigator]

probably just me but the ARod stories add nothing

[@akhrormuminov7180]

Secret is screaming like you are about to give birth!

[@ayoubelarif1782]

THIS MESSAGE FOR ALL THE HATERS AND SORE LOSERS ! She started using the substance for hereditary health reasons in 2008 after her shoulder operation, and she was already a three-time Grand Slam Champion. "before using it !!"

[@albiceleste101]

She is #1 no matter what they say

[@llouis4007]

So what's your point.. She still cheated for 10 years before her substance was recognized..but she lied about using it

[@Lovingdogsclub]

​@albiceleste101 yep right

[@Jibaru134]

​@@llouis4007in 2008 she was already a three grandslam champion before using this substance , this medicine was legal in sport until january 2016,Meldonium especially for tachycardia cardiovascular and his side effect boosting your energy She using it for reason bcuz They have diabetes hereditary in the family.anyway she is a legend

[@Erick92BC]

Alex can't stop talking about himself, right? lol

[@sofakulit6670]

Joan crawford?

[@baldwinyeah7042]

Alex Rodriguez mentions that he wants to bring a world championship to Minnesota. Does he mean the FIBA world championship or is falling under the US centric view that winning the NBA championship is like winning the world championship?

[@waldolydecker8118]

Being that the U.S.A. and NBA players have won far and away the most Olympic gold medals and the most world championships in basketball, makes perfect sense to consider the winner of the NBA championship the de facto world championship. Multiple European players who play in the NBA have unanimously said the NBA has the world's best basketball players. What league you got that's better? What other country's players have won more international gold medals in the sport? Put up or shut up...its really that simple.

[@pierredaher9590]

Hsieh su-wei is a much better tennis player 😁

[@idolopinions90]

Serena is a better tennis player and a business woman.

[@AFCompany]

Serena is a better player for sure. Sharapova is a better business women no question.

[@idolopinions90]

@@AFCompany excuse me, Serena Ventures?

[@AFCompany]

@@idolopinions90 I never said Serena is a bad business woman or has bad businesses but Sharapova is still a better business woman and has been for years which is why she made so much in endorsements her whole career.

[@idolopinions90]

@@AFCompany she had endorsements because she was white and blond and kind of cute. All things Serena was not. That’s all…that’s not business. That’s companies trying to make money off of you..She has no personality. She has a business now but when she was younger she was doing endorsements.

[@dremarley4388]

Her screams on the courts was bit too much...she is hot, but the way she played and then was caught using not a surprise

[@tennisjourney]

22:22 Shout out to Maria Kirilenko?

[@plm8830]

Not exactly the kind of content Bloomberg would be into. This story is more for the masses

[@genderl]

Why is she not talking about politics

[@stlouisramsfan03]

Because she's not a politician.

[@roboshea]

Um, ask Serena

[@user-yd4nk4lm6s]

Maria is a hall of famer and one of a few women to ever win every grand slam. Respect her success.

[@edgarshamilyan2048]

Considering the record with Williams is 20-2, I think you'd be better off asking Williams the secret to winning.

[@hugosantos9081]

Serena will never be as charismatic as Maria. Deal with it.

[@endogenetic]

Serena would never be able to deliver what Maria did in this interview. She’s great at tennis but not as insightful as Maria in this regard.

[@endogenetic]

@@DRA25dra Serena is very self protected and won’t share her thoughts like Maria did. She won’t tell you her insights basically.

[@user-yd4nk4lm6s]

@@DRA25drashe never talks this in depth about anything lol

[@waldolydecker8118]

@@hugosantos9081- charismatic with who? You and your mommy? Not interested. The numbers don't lie....80% of the world looks more like Serena than Maria. Serena's appeal to the masses around the globe is far superior to busted doper Sharapova whom she dominated head to head. Your confusion is understood though, given that the tennis media overwhelming looks like Maria, so has always naturally favored her coverage. Don't feel bad...any other simple mind would most likely also be fooled by that dynamic.

[@pinklady5795]

It's funny, during her tennis career she strutted around the tennis court with blonde hair and now it's brown! 😮

[@AFCompany]

She was forced to be blonde by her sponsors because they were trying to sell a certain image for her. This is her real hair color.

[@pinklady5795]

@@AFCompany I didn't know that! Thanks!

[@karenslaughing]

How are immigrants able to just move to the USA? I’ve always heard it’s extremely difficult to get a green card???

[@JH-rk9gd]

This woman never lived up to her potential, she was more interested in doing commercials

[@vls3771]

A big career in tennis and business Unbearable to listen to while playing like many of the Europeans before her and in her era thankfully it's slowly being forgotten.

[@elaela2754]

what secret ?? she is very tall and enormous like Serena

[@PeterGodek2]

This sound sh emakes on the court should be forbidden. Thas worse than seles

[@marc-andregauthier5139]

MELDONIUM

[@krishnakumar2390]

Completely legal and ain't a ped.

[@11marchand11]

🤣🤣🤣

[@Zain-mg3yk]

Meldonium, it wasn’t banned in tennis so she could use it to get an unfair Advantage over other players.

[@AFCompany]

It wasn’t banned in any sports and many tennis players were using it which is why it got banned in the first place. Maria just didn’t get the memo.

[@Zain-mg3yk]

@@AFCompany I haven’t read any report of other tennis players using it. I know Wada had a report in 2015 that Russian players were using it. My issue is that she had an unfair advantage. Others could have been using it but she is the only one that tested +ve and volunteered the info that she has bn using it for 10 years. She benefited from it. It wasn’t banned, so she wasn’t breaking the rules but it’s not fair. Sports is supposed to be fair, only real life is not fair✌️

[@AFCompany]

@@Zain-mg3yk she was not the only tennis player to fail a drug test for it when it was first banned look it up. Maria got suspended because she was actually still using it because she didn’t know it had been banned. 200+ athletes across all sports tested positive for it after it was banned because WADA did no actual research to see if it actually enhances performance and has no idea how long the drug stays in someones system. Can’t really have an unfair advantage on something that is legal for anyone to take. How do we not know Clijsters, Henin, Dementieva, Petrova, Safina, and Myskina weren’t also using it but just happened to retire before it was banned? We don’t so we can’t really say Maria had an unfair advantage using a completely legal substance.

[@chrisbreezy-ryanbarbosa4320]

She looks so different. Hair dye?

[@AFCompany]

That is her natural hair color. She was forced to keep it blonde during her career by her endorsements because the tall blonde was the image they wanted for her.

[@douglassoaresnazareth]

And she never Beat Serena Again

[@dimsum5567]

william brothers you mean

[@waldolydecker8118]

@@dimsum5567- you are confused....william brothers was who your sister was caught between in the football locker room, remember?

[@astonm.8173]

Much more pleasant as a non-player. The shrieking on court was unbearable at times.

[@CoachJoeyJones]

She was a great player, but are we forgetting she was suspended for doping ???? She cheated. I respect her bringing more people to the game, her struggle to become a great player, but She was never the same after she came back after the suspension.

[@user-yd4nk4lm6s]

If you knew anything about tennis you’d be aware of her injuries. Maria was already breaking down physically before all of that.

[@waldolydecker8118]

@@user-yd4nk4lm6s- more reason to dope if your body is breaking down. That's when people take drugs.

[@rozaliyanasyrova3050]

Когда она обманывала, а конференция? Её разоблачать не пришлось, Мария сама всё рассказала, когда узнала и отстаивала себя на заседании, доказала, что приём препарата был не для, а от, срок был изменён на меньший. Всегда привожу пример, а где те счастливчики покорившие Эверест? И почему за чудо препарат нет Нобелевской премии у создателей? Безграмотность или ещё что-то, это да.

[@CoachJoeyJones]

@@user-yd4nk4lm6s yep I know nothing, but she doped and got suspended plain and simple

[@simonsmith7251]

Doper for years should have had a lifetime ban and a return of her titles..... Serena exactly the same .....

[@krishnakumar2390]

😂🤣😂🤣completely legal drugs and ain't a ped.

[@Mean.Devil77787]

She's a Cheater 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@krishnakumar2390]

Completely legal drugs

[@waldolydecker8118]

@@krishnakumar2390- get brain...nobody gets officially suspended and banned for using "completely legal" drugs. Geez.

[@geschmackj209]

​@@waldolydecker8118It was legal until 2016. The rules suddenly changed which was a Russophobic move as many Russian athletes used this substance.

[@user-pz7mo5hq4n]