Maria Sharapova — about marriage and men

In early February, tennis player Maria Sharapova, who lives and trains in the US, flew to Moscow for a day. The sportswoman presented her own line of chocolates and announced the cooperation with the school of aerial gymnastics in Gorky Park. She also agreed to answer the questions of "Lady Mail.Ru" and told whether she is going to get married, what she appreciates in the relationship and for whom she cooks borscht.  

- Maria, you have been living in the United States for a long time, rarely come to Russia. And yet: is there, in your opinion, differences between Russian men and those who live in America?

- In my opinion, there are excellent men in Russia. They are courageous and you can rely on them. I like!

- As for women, in Russia, unlike the West, they most believe in the need for marriage, many consider a marriage license a goal. 

And what do you think about the institution of marriage?

- I think the family plays a crucial role for me. I know that  I can rely on my parents, friends and my team in any situation. Together we are all one big family. As for marriage, I am very happy for people who are happy in marriage. And I will have such a period in my life.

- What, in your opinion, is the most important in relations between people?

- Honesty, sincerity, trust. Many people see me, my victories and successes. In fact, this is the work of a whole team of coaches and my family.

- Is there something "very Russian" that makes you very homesick? Any food or, perhaps, some childhood places?

- When I was a child, my parents and I lived in Sochi, I remember this period. Dad and friends played tennis on the Riviera, and I looked at him and also wanted to take the racket in my hand. That's where my tennis story start ed. Before the start of the Olympic Games in Sochi, my partner Nike even found these courts on the Riviera and completely restored them.  It is very beautiful. My grandmother and grandfather now live in Sochi, my mother often visits them. As for Russian food, I love it very much. Every time I come to Russia, I immediately order myself  borsch,  dumplings, and olivier salad. When I invite friends to visit, we also sometimes cook borscht according to my grandmother's recipe.

- How is your typical day going? What do you do if you do not exercise?

- Most often, my typical day is just when I'm training or flying to tournaments. But this year I had more free time (Maria was disqualified for doping, - Ed.), I was able to travel as a tourist. After all, I used to fly to different countries mainly for tennis. Now I was able to just walk around the cities, walk, see the neighborhood. These are completely different sensations. I also spent more time with friends and family and attended Harvard Business School. It was not easy to study, the course was very intensive, but extremely interesting and useful for me.

- I read that travel is your true passion. What places do you like?

- I really enjoyed this summer in Montenegro, there is incredibly beautiful nature and the sea.  

I celebrated  New Year with friends in Hawaii, it was also very cool. Of course, I like Sochi, the city where I spent my childhood.

- On February 1, you presented a line of sweets Sugarpova (and also announced a collaboration with the School of Aerial Gymnastics "Trapezium Yota", the founder of which is entrepreneur Lev Kassil) in Moscow. Tell us, what is the peculiarity of your sweets? What is special about  your brand for customers?

- I travel the world for most of the year, and study recipes of countries. I'm always interested in what's new and the most delicious in this or that country. My chocolate is created according to original recipes, and all my friends, whom I give to try, like it very much. You can ask Ivan Urgant, he is a big fan of my chocolates!

- Are there any tastes of sweets and chocolates that you came up with yourself?

- I take part in work on sweets and chocolates: from the moment of selecting ingredients and searching for a factory for production to developing the design of packaging and recipes. Creating is a very exciting process.