5-time major champ Maria Sharapova retires from tennis at 32

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FILE - In this Jan. 21, 2020, file photo, Maria Sharapova makes a forehand return to Donna Vekic during their first round singles match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia. Sharapova is retiring from professional tennis at the age of 32 after five Grand Slam titles and time ranked No. 1. She has been dealing with shoulder problems for years. In an essay written for Vanity Fair and Vogue about her decision to walk away from the sport, posted online Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020, Sharapova asks: “How do you leave behind the only life you’ve ever known?”(AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)

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Maria Sharapova says she is retiring from professional tennis at the age of 32. The five-time Grand Slam title champion and former No. 1-ranked player has been dealing with shoulder problems for years. She played only two matches this season and lost both. Sharapova burst onto the tennis scene at 17 when she won Wimbledon in 2004. She would go on to complete a career Grand Slam with two titles at the French Open and one each at the U.S. Open and Australian Open. She served a 15-month ban after failing a doping test in 2016.