Image Credits: Maria Sharapova – © Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports/ Roger Federer – © Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Maria Sharapova is living her retirement life to the fullest. She recently went to Spain and has been sharing pictures from her travels on Instagram. Sharapova went there with her family, including her British businessman fiance Alexander Gilkes, to celebrate her 37th birthday on Friday. Maria Sharapova’s love for tourism and food is very famous and she again showed the same by sharing pictures of various delicacies from her time in Getaria, Gipuzkoa. This, in a lot of ways, is similar to Roger Federer who also posts about his love for travelling often on social media after retirement.
“Eating ( so much eating!!)and walking (very little walking in ratio to eating) our way through San Sebastián for a little pre birthday getaway. The cheesecake at La Vina alone was worth every bit of jet lag,” wrote Sharapova on her Instagram post.
The first picture was of Sharapova in a beige overcoat, holding an umbrella, and crossing a street. There were pictures and videos of several meat delicacies being cooked, boats and a sumptuous-looking cheesecake. Maria Sharapova even talked to Amanda Kludt of Eater’s Digest once (as covered by Eater.com), about her motivation to start her company Sugarpova. She is an out-and-out foodie and her approach towards it makes her one of the most relatable athletes on the planet.
Just a month or so ago, Roger Federer shared similar travel details from his time in Thailand. He was having mango rice from one of the floating markets of Bangkok. Both Federer and Sharapova enjoy a massive fan following around the globe and their fans love them for being authentic. They are both champions in tennis, having won multiple Grand Slams, and yet they both live their retirement life carefree and casually, something that their fans aspire to do.
https://www.instagram.com/rogerfederer/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=1d7b5738-6bb8-453d-84c7-a65a393e8490
Both Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova are also extremely likeable. They are passionate travelers, friendly with their fans, and do not prefer VIP treatment. Instead, they both travel normally like regular people, savoring precious moments with their families. Take Roger Federer’s recent interaction with a Stanford student for example. The 20-time Grand Slam winner was just casually strolling through the campus and later spent an evening with the Stanford tennis team.
However, despite their casual demeanor and friendly vibes, Maria Sharapova and Roger Federer are both larger-than-life personalities. Even after their retirement, they are both swamped with business endeavors. Interestingly enough, both of them keep traveling too for it. Their ever-so-fast-moving life is only informed to fans via their social media pages like Instagram, or interviews.
Not just Federer, but Sharapova went to Thailand too, but for business purposes. Aman Resorts, a Sweden-based luxurious resort chain, made Maria Sharapova their Global Wellness Ambassador. To promote it, Sharapova held a multi-day wellness retreat in Phuket, one of their main branches. As if the coincidences between Sharapova and Federer aren’t enough, there’s another connection they share.
Maria Sharapova and Roger Federer have a Wimbledon connection
A 5-time Grand Slam champion, Maria Sharapova became an overnight sensation after her first Grand Slam win in 2004. It was at Wimbledon, and against tennis superstar Serena Williams in the final. Williams, who barely ever loses a Grand Slam final, didn’t stand a chance that day, as Sharapova won 6-1, 6-4.
The win catapulted the Siberian to tennis stardom and made her an overnight superstar. An emotional Sharapova was then running up the Wimbledon stairs to hug her father, who made huge contributions to her career. Post that, she won the US Open in 2006, the Australian Open in 2008, and the French Open in 2012 and 2014.
Interestingly enough, Roger Federer too won the Wimbledon title in 2004. Although it wasn’t his first Grand Slam win (that was 2003 Wimbledon), a victory in London always means a lot. Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova clicked pictures together at the winner’s party and got to meet each other then.
