https://www.bloomberg.com/the-deal?sref=fSOf3OlP
Maria Sharapova: To Win, Know How to Lose |
Tennis legend Maria Sharapova started building a nine-figure empire while still on the court. The athlete-turned-businesswoman shares her wisdom on the first episode of The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly, a Bloomberg Podcasts-Bloomberg Originals production hosted by the former New York Yankees superstar and veteran Bloomberg correspondent. The new series will pull back the curtain on how the brightest lights in sports, entertainment and business sealed their biggest deals, and the ones that got away.
Sharapova Says to Win in Business Means Knowing How to Lose
On the first episode of The Deal, the five-time Grand Slam winner explains how she started building a nine-figure empire while still on the tennis court.
Maria Sharapova, left, appears on the first episode of The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly
Maria Sharapova, the global tennis icon who spent her career defeating the sport’s best, is looking for some losers.
For many, she’s 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. Her biggest rule? To win, you must know how to lose. On the premiere episode of The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly, she tells us exactly what she means.
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The Deal: Maria Sharapova (Podcast)
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This new series from Bloomberg Podcasts and Bloomberg Originals, hosted by New York Yankees legend Alex Rodriguez and veteran Bloomberg correspondent Jason Kelly, pulls back the curtain on how the biggest names in sports, entertainment and business built their empires, with all the pivots and pitfalls along the way. When it comes to this rarefied group, it should be no surprise that Sharapova was at the top of the list.
Even as she was climbing to the summit of the tennis world, the Russian-born star was already building a business resume. She endorsed brands from Motorola to Porsche while later taking stakes in companies such as Supergoop. Most every move she made ended up being the right one—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 sports arenas, Sharapova approaches a range of partnerships with a sly worldliness. One thing she’s keen to find is people who have seen it all go sideways.
“I want to win with people who know how to lose,” Sharapova says. “I can sip Champagne...I know what that feeling is like. But when things aren’t going well, when you have a losing streak...who are the people in that process? What’s their mentality?”
During an hour-long conversation, Sharapova lets her guard down to reveal a thoughtful, funny person focused on translating the success of the first part of her life into something sustainable for decades to come. The 2024 version of Sharapova, now 36, describes herself as “a five-time Grand Slam champion, a mother and entrepreneur, and just a curious human being.”
She also appears fascinated with how she can turn her own, grueling sense of discipline into a playbook for others—especially women—to achieve success in business and life. As for her investment strategy, Sharapova’s approach can be characterized as tactile: any time a product is pitched for consideration, her answer is simple—send it.
“I want to live with it, I want to breathe it, I want to try it, I want to wear it,” she says. “I want to give it to my friends and I want them to give me their feedback. And until they tell me they like it and they’re into it, I won’t have a next call with you.”
Transcript: Sharapova on How Tennis Informed Her Business Success
To see all episodes of The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly, click here.
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To see the latest videos from Bloomberg Originals, click here.
Maria Sharapova Wants to Find Some Losers |
Maria Sharapova has turned her laser focus to deal-making for her second act, and her biggest rule is that to win, you must know how to lose. “I can sip Champagne,” she says. “I know what that feeling is like. But when things aren’t going well, when you have a losing streak...who are the people in that process? What’s their mentality?” Sharapova is the first guest on the new Bloomberg Podcast-Bloomberg Originals series, The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly. The former New York Yankees superstar and veteran Bloomberg correspondent talk to the biggest names about their best deals and the ones that got away.
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The Deal Episode 1: Maria Sharapova
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