World-class tennis champion, investor, and entrepreneur Maria Sharapova was one of the speakers at the WE Convention, a conference organized by the Dubai-based women’s empowerment community Women’s Empowerment (WE) Council on April 20-21, 2024.

World-class tennis champion, investor, and entrepreneur Maria Sharapova took part in a fireside chat with Mila Smart Semeshkina, founder of the Dubai-based women’s empowerment community Women’s Empowerment Council, at its flagship conference WE Convention, which was held in Dubai on April 20-21, 2024.

Held at Atlantis The Royal in Dubai under the theme “Big Goals, Bold Choices,” this year’s edition of the WE Convention featured more than 100 speakers, 2,000 attendees, 23 sessions on the main stage, 12 roundtable discussions, and 42 one-on-one coaching sessions.

On the sidelines of the event, Sharapova spoke with us about how her elite performance mindset helped her succeed in her post-tennis career as an entrepreneur and investor.

“The entrepreneurial space was a very natural evolution of being an athlete,” Sharapova said. “The decisions and teamwork that you face as an athlete very much flow into the world of business and entrepreneurship. It was actually something I was passionate about at the beginning of my tennis career, because I realized that, as a woman, I had only a certain amount of time to play, and that at a certain point I would want to start a family. I didn’t know how long my body would allow me to play, and so I started setting up foundations in business early on, and that really helped shape my thoughts and perspective, and also teach me because I learned from amazing brand partners that I worked with.”

To watch our full interview with Sharapova, check out the video.