Tennis as a sport has evolved over time. Court surfaces have changed, and we have gone from outdoor to indoor tennis courts. Now there is going to be a new type of surface—a floating one. Yes, you read that right. New York City is about to witness the first floating tennis court, which will set sail in the Hudson River in September and be maneuvered by Maria Sharapova.
The floating court is set to pop up on the Circle Line, which will be called the SS Evian for a day. However, that is not where the surprise ends. Russian tennis star Sharapova is going to don the mantle of ship captain for the day.
On September 10th, fans will get the opportunity to watch the US Open Men’s final with premium courtside seats on the cruise ship. As with all things Evian, the tennis court will be pink too.
Former US Open champion Maria Sharapova will lead an exclusive interview in the afternoon. Andrea Petkovic will join Sharapova to discuss both the women’s and men’s finals.
One lucky fan will get the chance to play a volley with the five-time Grand Slam champion. Additionally, they will also get two tickets to the US Open in 2024. There will be a lucky draw to determine the lucky winner.
It is a unique and fun collaboration between Sharapova, the US Open, and Evian. The proceeds from the tickets will reportedly go towards the Billion Oyster Project. It is a non-profit organization working tirelessly to restore the reefs around New York Harbor.
History of Maria Sharapova at the US Open
The former world number one had a glorious career that spanned 19 years. Throughout her career, Maria has always strived to be the best. She played at the US Open 13 times, and took home the title once, in 2006.
Sharapova was 16 when she played her first match at Flushing Meadows, in 2003. Ranked 54 at the time, Sharapova defeated Virginia Ruano Pascual, 6-1, 6-1, to clinch her first win in New York City. However, Emilie Loit of France defeated Maria in the second round.
Sharapova made the semifinal run in 2005 before Kim Clijsters defeated her. She returned the following year with renewed passion and decimated her opponents en route to the trophy.
Maria dished a bagel to Amelie Mauresmo twice, the then-world number one, defeating her 6-0, 4-6, 6-0 in the semifinal. She then defeated Justine Henin 6-4, 6-4 in the final, lifting her only silverware at Flushing Meadows.
Sharapova dropped just one set, against Mauresmo in the semifinal, during her title run in 2006. It was the second major title of her career; she won her maiden title in 2004 at Wimbledon. Her final US Open appearance came in 2019 when she clashed with her longtime rival, Serena Williams. Sharapova lost the match. It was her first-ever first-round defeat at Flushing Meadows.
Maria Sharapova retired from tennis in 2020. She is one of the few women to have achieved the career slam by winning a title on all the major surfaces. Sharapova was and will remain an icon of the sport.