Maria on the mic: Sharapova set to launch 'Pretty Tough' podcast
The former world No. 1 becomes the latest current or former player to enter the podcasting space.
Your favorite tennis player's favorite player is getting in on the podcasting game.
In partnership with Vox Media, International Tennis Hall of Famer and five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova will debut her new podcast 'Pretty Tough' next week.
Teasing the show in a social media post on Wednesday, the former world No. 1 said the show is "about the pursuit of excellence, without apology."
"It challenges how we discuss female ambition and explores the multitudes that make us," she wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Read more: Maria Sharapova's Hall of Fame induction is tennis royalty well-earned
In a video teaser, Sharapova suggested she will chat with a variety of high-achieving women who "gave themselves permission to ride and do and believe in more than just what others think of them," including award winning actress Zoe Saldana, Los Angeles Lakers minority owner Jeanie Buss, and actress and comedian Chelsea Handler, who is Sharapova's good friend.
Sharapova enters a crowded media landscape where tennis fans have their pick of shows hosted by current and former pros.
Serena and Venus Williams started "Stockton Street" last September, and it airs on X weekly. In 2024, Caroline Garcia launched "Tennis Insider Club," with now-husband Borja Duran, as did both Andy Roddick's acclaimed "Served" show, the "Nothing Major" podcast with Sam Querrey, Jack Sock, John Isner and Steve Johnson. Last year, the "Player's Box" podcast, starring Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula , Jennifer Brady and Desirae Krawczyk, debuted to rave reviews.
“We saw the guys start Nothing Major and we were kind of like, ‘Man, if they can do it, we can figure this out. Like, come on. Seriously,’” Pegula said last summer.
“I think being friends also has really helped us, especially with all the traveling and, you know, just living this lifestyle that we live. So, it's actually been really fun, kind of therapeutic for us, and I guess we're just kind of sharing that with the rest of the world.”