Petkovic praises Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova for breaking an important taboo

It is allowed to be tennis icons Serena Williams And Maria Sharapova to break various taboos related to the life of an athlete, such as the former German tennis player Andrea Petkovic recently highlighted in the podcast The AO show.

The two legendary tennis players, rivals on the court (and sometimes off), changed the perception of a tennis player and an athlete in general. Until then it was only linked to performances on the court, Serena and Maria have managed to transcend this image and become role models even outside the tennis courts, thanks to their initiatives, their companies and their hobbies.

Petkovic revealed how previously tennis players who did anything else off the court were seen in a somewhat negative light. Now, thanks in part to the contributions of Williams and Sharapova, having hobbies is the norm in an athlete’s life, even in public life, thanks to the media attention brought on by social media.

Precisely in this regard, Andrea analyzed: “I always had my interests, my hobbies, my books, my writings and all those other things, but I hardly ever talked about them because I thought I should concentrate on what I do, playing tennis Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams changed everything When I started out, having more hobbies was a bit frowned upon and I really think they were the first.

Serena and Maria took it to another level, they changed the story of an athlete in general, and not just tennis players. And it was okay to do other things. And after that, I felt much more comfortable talking about the things that I had and I always saw it as an addition, not a takeaway from my game. Something that can strengthen me mentally and not take me away mentally.”

Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams met during Paris Fashion Week.

Two iconic women who transcended the game just by having a chat. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/a6ClTUmQz8

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) March 3, 2024