"My shoulder just twitched" - Maria Sharapova makes fun of herself as she recalls her awkward serve technique
Maria Sharapova recently reminisced about her awkward serve technique with a humorous archived photo of herself.
The former World No. 1 from Russia, considered one of the best competitors of her generation, had plenty of success during her time on the tour. She won all four Grand Slams, winning the French Open twice, the WTA Finals, and a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
Renowned for her powerful and aggressive baseline game, her lethal serve and dominant groundstrokes were a force to be reckoned with.
Sharapova's serve in particular was a feature of its own and feared by many. It was special for a variety of reasons.
Her iconic routine of contemplating her racquet string, taking the balls from the same corner of the court, brushing her hair away from her face, and slowly bouncing the ball before proceeding to serve will live long in the memory of many tennis fans.
Sharapova took to her Instagram account on Sunday, February 4, to reminisce with fans about her fiddly service action. Reacting to a photo of herself, Sharapova jokingly conceded that her arm "twitched" when she saw the image.
"This image just popped up on my phone/ and my shoulder just twitched," Sharapova wrote on her Instagram story.
Despite the awkward service action, Sharapova saw plenty of success behind both first and second serves during her career. Her ability to hold serve, while fetching numerous free points, was key to her success.
Maria Sharapova excited to share pickleball court with idol Steffi Graff
Maria Sharapova is part of a group of highly talented individuals taking part in Pickleball Slam 2.
Sharapova will be joined by fellow legends of the game John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, and Steffi Graf for a game of doubles on Sunday, February 4. The duo of Sharapova and McEnroe will take on the married couple of Agassi and Graf.
Speaking to the press ahead of the highly anticipated match, Sharapova spoke about her excitement to compete on a big stage again.
“I think all the legends on the court come from very competitive backgrounds, and there will be no holding back, which will make it so much more exciting and fun,” she said.
Sharapova went on to concede that Steffi Graf, a 22-time Grand Slam singles champion, was the main reason she wanted to play at the event.
“The main reason I wanted to participate in this event was to play against Steffi Graf, who I admired for so many years,” she added.
Interestingly, Sharapova was on the rise as a seventeen-year-old in 2004 when Graf was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.