If there was ever a challenger to Serena Williams at the peak of her career other than her sister Venus, it was Maria Sharapova. Sharapova was one of the biggest names in tennis before her career went south due to a doping scandal.
In 2016, Sharapova admitted to failing the drug test at the Australian Open after intaking a banned substance called Meldonium. While she was banned from playing professional tennis for two years. However, what took an even bigger hit was the brand, Maria Sharapova.
Almost immediately, all big brands sponsoring the five-time grand slam winner distanced themself from her. Sharapova was left on her own without giving her a chance to explain her side of the story. Before the scandal, the former world number one was the highest-paid female athlete for 11 years in a row.
The biggest name to pull out from its sponsorship deal with Sharapova was Nike. As per NPR, Nike released a statement at that time and said, “We are saddened and surprised by the news about Maria Sharapova. We have decided to suspend our relationship with Maria while the investigation continues.” The pullout of Nike from the sponsorship deal set the ball rolling for other brands to follow the same.
Other brands cut ties with Maria Sharapova not just because of the doping scandal
Nike was not the only brand to distance itself from Sharapova. The former Russian tennis player found herself in the middle of nowhere when other brands followed a similar path. The next big brand to cut ties with Sharapova was the car company, Porsche.
Porsche said at that time, “Until further details are released and we can analyze the situation, we have chosen to postpone planned activities.” It was obviously a major blow to Sharapova as two big brands decided to pull out of their deals and set the stage for other brands to follow.
However, the doping scandal was not the only reason why Sharapova lost her sponsorships. If you go back to that time, the Russian was already in the declining phase of her career. She was nearing the end and sponsors could see that. With the doping scandal kicking in, the sponsors decided to pull the trigger early.
Therefore, Sharapova’s age was a big factor that led to the death of her brand. The only company that stood by her during the scandal was the tennis racquet brand, Head. It decided to take a completely different approach and stand by Sharapova during the lowest point of her career.
Sharapova played it smart as she ventured into the world of entrepreneurship to multiply her wealth. As far as tennis is concerned, Sharapova came back after two years but was never the same. She struggled to keep up with other players and eventually announced her retirement in 2020.
