The One Thing Maria Sharapova Absolutely Swears By but Isn’t Always Attainable (Yes, This Is a Riddle)

Maria Sharapova has been a figure in the tennis world since 2001 when she was just 14 years old. Since then, the 32-year-old five-time Grand Slam winner has grown as an athlete and even become an entrepreneur with her candy company, Sugarpova. Throughout that evolution, Sharapova says one thing has been her saving grace. 

When we spoke with Sharapova about her newly-launched natural gummy line, she explained that whether she’s playing tennis or preparing for a board meeting, confidence is key.

Although physical training and warm-ups obviously have a major role in her success as an athlete, Sharapova really focuses on mental clarity ahead of the big moments in her life.

“I think a lot of self-care practices come from within. My routine before a match is very straightforward and boring. It’s more the mentality that you go into a big match or a big opportunity with. It’s the self-belief,” she explained. “You spend a lot of hours training for it, preparing for it, just like any other job. So, during that time the preparation is more about developing a belief in myself and a comfort level and confidence.”

Speaking of believing in yourself, Sharapova warned, “Confidence doesn’t come out of thin air. It takes a lot of work and effort. They always say, ‘The harder you work, the luckier you are,’ and that’s kind of how I see confidence. The more you work, the more you put in the hours, the time and the motions of really dedicating yourself to that particular task, the more confident you’re going to get.”

She summed up her outlook on the importance of confidence with some memorable words of wisdom: “There’s no easy way out and no easy way toward a confidence booster. It takes a long time to get it and you can lose it very fast. I know that on experience.”

Beyoncé-level confidence, here we come.