Maria Sharapova Wants to Win the Fashion Game, Too
Maria Sharapova sitting on the hood of a vintage NYC Taxi. Photo: Getty Images
Have you ever really seen jaws drop? Literally, I mean. Because when Maria Sharapova walks into a room that’s what happens. Eyes glaze over; the 6’2” blonde is even more captivating than you think. On Monday, Nike gathered its biggest tennis stars — of past and present — for a game of street tennis, on a pothole-filled mock court outside The Standard Hotel in New York City’s Meatpacking District. Amongst legends like John McEnroe, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and even her fiercest competition, Serena Williams, (plus ex-boyfriend, Grigor Dimitrov), the Russian athlete stood tall.
You can attribute at least part of Sharapova’s dazzling presence to her understated tennis dress. She designed it herself (with Nike) and will wear it to the upcoming U.S. Open. While the Grand Slam tournament’s fashion has historically been more on the wild side — think Serena Williams in a denim skirt and lots of neon — Sharapova’s look this year is quite conservative. “We’re actually kind of going away from that,” the 28-year-old tells Yahoo Style of her new collection with NikeCourt. “My dress is white and it’s really classic and it’s just a really beautiful silhouette.”
It’s true. The NikeCourt Premier Maria ($130) is white with black panels, a piece that might not look out of place on the pages of Vogue (Anna Wintour sat courtside with Victor Cruz). “I like to play with color, I don’t like crazy patterns. For me a piece is all about the details you see when you’re holding it and about making those seams and binds where you don’t have a lot of stitching going on, where you have a mesh material that actually feels soft and not like a real mesh,” she says. “So those things I think are more important to me just because it’s more about the innovation and the feeling you have on the court.”
Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Madison Keys, Nick Kyrgios, Maria Sharapova, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Genie Bouchard, Roger Federer, Grigor Dimitrov, and John McEnroe at Nike’s ‘NYC Street Tennis event. Photo: Getty Images
One of those prevailing sentiments high-level athletes must have is competitiveness. Williams, one of Sharapova’s fiercest rivals, threw down the gauntlet at the event, wearing a pink camo print dress with a cutout back. Sharapova admits that “you kind of have to be” competitive when it comes to fashion as well. “When we think of the Grand Slams and we think of the impact that we’re making on the court, with the different surfaces, and the flash, you’re creating a moment and when you’re out there you don’t want to think about what you’re wearing because you’re comfortable in it and you’re confident in it.”
Sharapova plays a big part in creating the clothes for her Nike collection. In fact, she’s so knowledgable when it comes to sweat-proof materials and advancements in the lightweight fabrics and sewing techniques that she could be mistaken for a fashion school graduate herself. “I like to keep people guessing,” she says. “There’s no [silhouette] that I like better than others. We’re all big competitors and we strive to make something better the next time.”
Her breadth of expertise certainly comes from the fact that she’s worked with the colossal athletic brand since she was 11-years-old—back then, there was no line for juniors, she had to cut up T-shirts and roll up her skirts—but it’s also business and brand management savvy. A recent article in Fortune quoted her long-time agent Max Eisenbud saying, she’s carrying a “PhD in sports marketing without even attending college.”
Case in point: heralding the athleisure trend before it even became a thing. I’m glad that everyone’s enjoying it now,” she jokes. “I spend so much time on the road and the athleisure that’s been going around, it’s something that I’ve been a part of since I started my career.” Sharapova, who is the world’s most marketable female athlete, tops Williams’ $24.6 million by pulling in almost $30 million a year through earnings, endorsements and off-the-court ventures, according to Forbes. In addition to Nike, she also works with Tag Heuer, Avon, Evian, Head, was recently named Porsche’s first female ambassador. She’s an investor and co-owner in Supergoop, a sun protection and skin care line, and even has her own candy collection, Sugarpova, which she is the founder and creative director of.
While the five-time Grand Slam winner certainly has her eye on taking home the title at the U.S. Open, she has other ventures, too. Up next? Look out for chocolate.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.
