Source: REUTERS/DARRON CUMMINGS
[Saba Sports News] Maria Sharapova, a former top-ranked women’s tennis
player, is known to be good friends with Mercedes’ Formula 1 driver Lewis
Hamilton. During the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final race of the F1 season,
Sharapova attended the event to support Hamilton, expressing her fandom and
unwavering support for him. The passionate embrace between Sharapova and
Hamilton before the race has become a memorable moment in the world of F1. Recently,
Sharapova was interviewed on the podcast Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard,
where she used Hamilton as an example to discuss the psychological pressure
that athletes face. According to Sharapova, tennis and F1 are among the most
mentally demanding sports due to their relentless year-round schedules.
Athletes are constantly either competing or training, leaving little time for
respite. They are expected to consistently perform at a high level to meet the
expectations of their sponsors, which becomes a responsibility they must
shoulder. Sharapova noticed the extensive sponsor list, numerous events, and
interviews that Hamilton had to handle during the Miami Grand Prix, which
surprised her. From the moment Hamilton wakes up, he has to strategize how to allocate
time for these commitments and interviews while preserving energy for both
competition and training. These are the psychological pressures that athletes
face.