"I drafted a really good email" - Maria Sharapova addresses severing professional ties with father on Alex Rodriguez's podcast

When Maria Sharapova retired from tennis in February 2020, it was the end of an era, not just for herself, but also for her father, Yuri, who played a huge role in her career. The Russian recently credited her father's impact on her career while speaking on "The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly."

When it came to her decision to retire, Sharapova discussed how that affected her relationship with her father, who wasn't actively involved in her decision:

"I think he knew it was coming, because I wanted to do it with him and I wanted to do it on my own. I wanted to have that independency. ... It was just this little bird, this little instinct of mine that said, you know what, this is time."

NY Yankees icon Alex Rodriguez interjected, concerned about how that decision might have affected her relationship with her father:

"Now I'm scared for you Maria. Is that a conversation to happen on text, on phone or in person?"

"I drafted a really good email," Sharapova explained. "I just thought I was gonna do this much better on email and craft my thoughts better. And I did. And I couldn't look at him in the face while saying that. But I also knew that he knew it was coming. He just didn't think it was gonna happen after I just won my third Grand Slam.

"Yeah. It's a tough one. But you have to like, rip that bandaid. ... I was ready. It had been a partnership for, you know, over 20 years and it was time to do it on my own."

Maria Sharapova credits her father for his support throughout her career

Maria Sharapova discussed her father's impact on her career, from humble beginnings right to the end, while speaking on "The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly."

"Tennis-wise, I have to give him so much credit," Sharapova said. "He was trying to find any kind of job that would help support, you know, string my next racket for my next tournament.

"The greatest gift that he gave me was acknowledging that at some point he will have to step back. And for a father in sport, particularly in tennis, as a father of a girl that's won Grand Slams with him, is a very tough acceptance to have."

As for the moment when Sharapova had to change coaches, which was always going to be a tricky situation to navigate, she explained:

"I never really fired him. He was still very much involved. I guess the only thing that, and when you say fired, like you evolve, right? And that's one of the hardest, the challenges that I find now is like, what you needed two, three years ago, perhaps is not what you need for the future."

Yuri's unique position as the five-time Grand Slam champion's father meant that while he may have adapted to a different role, he was still a massive part of her support base.

"He was still very much involved. He'd call all the coaches and speak to them after matches. He's always the first person I’d call – it wasn't like I went to my coach, I called my dad," Sharapova continued.

It's clear that while calling time on her career was a difficult decision to make, Sharapova's respect for her father never wavered.