The tennis phenomenon brings her gummy candy line, Sugarpova, to another California city; Manhattan Beach. Although this business venture may surprise fans, it’s actually a plan that was developed years ago.
While recovering from shoulder surgery two years ago, Sharapova thought about the future of her tennis career and wanted to explore other business opportunities. She’s always had a craving for sweets, and the first candy that she ate when she moved to the States from Russia was gummies.
“I moved to the U.S. when I was 7 years old from Russia,” she said. “Probably when I was a little bit older and I went to the movie theater and I saw the stand of candy where we could pick our own candy and we didn’t have that in Russia. That was my fascination with gummies.”
In addition to encouragement from her childhood fascination, the possibility of Sugerpova becoming a household name was the 25-year-old’s motivation for investing in gummies as well.
“What struck me [about gummies], there wasn’t a brand,” Sharapova said. “I asked my friends, what was their favorite type of gummy. They said a bear, or worm or a shape. They never gave me the name of a brand.”
As the number no. 2 women’s tennis player in the world, Sharapova’s popularity alone will make her gummies known throughout households around the world. Globalizing her brand is her main focus.
“It’s coming out soon in Russia, China, and Japan,” she said. “That’s our main goal, to bring it global. My fan base is all around the world, and that’s my priority.”
After being in business for less than two years, Sugarpova has twenty-four stores in the states. In addition to the future store openings in Russia, China, and Japan, a total of six stores are opening in other countries as well; two in Dubai, one in the Cayman Islands, and three in the United Kingdom.
If fans want to try Sharapova’s delectable gummies but aren’t located near a store, they can purchase the sweet treats online at sugarpova.com for $5.99 per bag.
With flavors like flirty, silly, chic, and sassy sour, the name Sugarpova will soon be embedded in our memories, giving Maria Sharapova the satisfaction that her product became a household name.
