Maria Sharapova opens up about the difficult end of her engagement

Maria Sharapova once opened up about one of the most personal chapters of her life — the end of her engagement to former Los Angeles Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic — and her words painted a picture of how even love can struggle under the weight of elite sporting careers.

Sharapova explained that the biggest challenge wasn’t a lack of affection or respect, but time. Or rather, the complete absence of it. Both were professional athletes competing at the highest level, and their demanding schedules eventually pushed the relationship to a breaking point. “It was obviously a challenging decision from both of our ends,” Sharapova admitted. “We have a tremendous amount of respect for each other.”

At the time, Sharapova was one of the most dominant figures in women’s tennis. A global superstar, she had already captured the Wimbledon title in 2004 by defeating Serena Williams, a victory that launched her into worldwide fame. She would go on to add multiple Grand Slam trophies to her résumé, including the US Open in 2006, the Australian Open in 2008, and French Open titles in 2012 and 2014. Her career required constant travel, intense preparation, and relentless focus.

Vujacic, meanwhile, was navigating a demanding basketball career of his own. Known by the nickname “The Machine,” he spent years in the NBA before taking his talents overseas. His move to Turkey to play for Anadolu Efes became a major turning point in their relationship. Sharapova revealed just how difficult that period was. “He wasn’t home one time during the 10 months that he was in Turkey,” she said. “That made it extremely difficult.”

Maria Sharapova explains how demanding careers and constant travel led to her split from Sasha Vujacic

The physical distance only magnified the strain. Maintaining any relationship is hard when one person is a professional athlete, Sharapova noted, but when both partners are constantly traveling across continents, it becomes even harder to find moments that feel normal. Training sessions, matches, media commitments, and recovery time left little room for personal life.

The couple’s relationship had once seemed full of promise. Their romance blossomed quickly, and about a year after they began dating, Vujacic reportedly proposed to Sharapova on their one-year anniversary. At the time, the engagement symbolized a rare crossover between two elite sporting worlds — tennis and basketball — and fans followed their story closely.

However, reality eventually set in. Between Sharapova’s life on the tennis tour and Vujacic’s globe-trotting basketball schedule, the opportunities to actually be together became fewer and fewer. “Our career schedules just made it extremely difficult to see each other,” Sharapova explained, specifically pointing to the challenges created by constant travel and Vujacic’s move to Turkey.

In August 2012, Sharapova officially announced that the engagement was over. While the news surprised many fans, she later revealed that the decision had been made with maturity and mutual understanding. There was no bitterness, no public fallout — just acceptance that love alone wasn’t enough to overcome the realities of their careers.

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Despite the breakup, Sharapova emphasized that the relationship wasn’t something she regretted. “We spent really great years together,” she said. She also expressed hope that the two would remain on good terms, even calling Vujacic someone she would still like to consider a friend.

The story highlighted a truth that many fans often overlook: success at the highest level of sport comes at a cost. Between the pressure to perform, the physical toll, and near-constant travel, even deeply committed relationships can struggle to survive.

For Sharapova, the end of the engagement marked a closing chapter — but not a pause in her ambition. She never looked back professionally, continuing to build one of the most decorated careers in tennis history. Her story with Vujacic remains a reminder that sometimes, timing — not love — decides the fate of a relationship.