Maria Sharapova, 37, opened up about parenting – and struggling to get enough sleep – during an exclusive panel discussion hosted by Hästens on Friday afternoon on Madison Avenue in Manhattan.
The tennis great is teaming up with the luxury mattress brand beloved by celebrities like Beyoncé and Tom Cruise, to launch a Sleep to Perform talent program, which is supporting talented people in different industries, including culinary arts, sports, fashion, and visual arts.
Now, she’s spreading the wealth by giving the mattresses, which range from $11,980 for the Marquis in a queen size to $656,990 for the Hästens Grand Vividus, which calls itself the ‘luxury bed of luxury beds,’ to talented people so they can reach peak-performance.
Maria, who retired from tennis in 2020, was joined by Gem restaurant owner Flynn McGarry, VR painter Emma Webster, France-based artist Ian Padgham, British racing driver Jamie Chadwick, and designer Priya Ahluwalia.
Maria bought her first Hästens in 2004 at the store in Los Angeles, spending a big paycheck from a tournament – and she was so young she had to ask her parents for permission to make the big purchase.
Maria Sharapova , 37, opened up about parenting – and struggling to get enough sleep – during an exclusive panel discussion hosted by Hästens on Friday afternoon in Manhattan
The tennis great is teaming up with the luxury mattress brand to launch a Sleep to Perform talent program, which is supporting talented people in different industries
Ian Padgham, Flynn McGarry, Jan Ryde, Maria Sharapova, Jaime Chadwick, Emma Webster, and Priya Ahluwalia attend the HÃstens: Sleep to Perform event on October 25, 2024
Swedish bed-sellers Hästens makes handcrafted beds beloved by celebrities including Maria (above, Beyoncé, Brad Pitt, Drake, Tom Cruise and Angelina Jolie
The tennis legend still sleeps on the bed, which was handcrafted in Köping, Sweden, using natural materials, including horse hair, to this day.
‘So it’s done me well,’ Maria joked to the audience.
Maria, clad in brown leather Hermes, talked about how her own ‘definition of peak performance’ has shifted over time.
Before, it was all about performance under pressure, but now she feels like it’s about being present and delivering her best as a mom, entrepreneur and investor.
Maria welcomed her son Theodore in July 2022 with her fiancé, British businessman Alexander Gilkes, who has royal connections.
‘It’s pretty amazing the things you don’t know you’re capable of,’ Maria said about how her life has changed since welcoming Theodore, while referencing how she’s ‘surviving on little sleep as a first time mom.’
The Tennis Hall of Famer said she’s come to terms with ‘the acceptance of knowing within your life and timeframe…you’re going to face challenges of not having the right amount of sleep.’
‘One of the key things is consistency,’ the former tennis pro explained. ‘We tend to give up so fast, just like with sleep – give it a little bit of time.’
Maria explained how when she was competing, sleep was a ‘necessity,’ but in the business world she surprises people when she takes a 30 minute nap.
The Russian five-time Grand Slam champion, who retired from tennis in 2020, called her son’s birth ‘The most beautiful, challenging, and rewarding gift our little family could ask for’
Maria announced the birth of her first child Theodore with a picture of the newborn along with her fiancé Alexander Gilkes
Maria welcomed her son Theodore in July 2022 with her fiancé, British businessman Alexander, who has royal connections
‘It’s pretty amazing the things you don’t know you’re capable of,’ Maria said about how her life has changed since welcoming Theodore
The Wimbledon regular also remembered her childhood, when she moved to the United States from Russia and was training for six hours six days a week.
While her family wasn’t wealthy, Maria explained that since sleep was free she always took advantage of it as part of her training.
Maria’s mother urged her to hang from a ‘rod’ – or push-up bar – before bed to extend her back and guarantee she’d be taller – and she joked that it must have worked because she was taller than both her parents.
Maria also discussed how difficult it is to go to sleep after a big match – especially after competing in front of thousands of people while surrounded by lights and eyes and opinions – and then being alone with your thoughts.
The panelists also discussed the importance of getting seven to nine uninterrupted deep hours of sleep, because of its benefits, including DNA repair, collagen replenishment, and clearing of waste matter in the brain.
They talked about ways to guarantee better sleep, including blackout curtains to not disrupt sleep hormones, breathable sleep clothes, and of course, a well constructed, supportive mattress.
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