Maria Sharapova once detailed the intricacies of her outfit for the 2005 Wimbledon Championships.
Sharapova entered that year’s Championships as the second seed and defending champion. A year ago, she had stunned two-time defending champion Serena Williams 6-1, 6-4 in the final at just 17.
Ahead of her title defense, the Russian shed light on the outfit she would don for the fortnight. Adhering to Wimbledon’s all-white tradition, Sharapova disclosed that her Nike outfit featured a subtle pop of color with orange details on the dress.
She also touched on her shoes, sharing that they were adorned with 18-carat gold embellishments on the side, which gave off an unbelievable shine. She humorously expressed her hope that the eye-catching shoes would distract her opponents during matches.
“Yeah, it’s — how do I explain the dress? I would say it’s a summer dress. It has orange details on it. It has a pleated skirt on the bottom. It’s pretty covered on top. But the pleated skirt gives it a lot of wave. It’s perfect for the weather – if we keep this weather,” Maria Sharapova said in a pre-tournament press conference.
“My shoes have 18 carat gold specs on the side of the shoes. That’s something totally different. But it shines unbelievably. Hopefully (it) can distract my opponents a little bit (smiling). And my cover-up, it’s sort of a cloak, has gold details and a gold zipper,” she added.
After a journalist expressed an interest in purchasing a similar pair for himself, Maria Sharapova clarified that they were not for sale. However, she estimated that they would likely retail for approximately $600 or $900.
“I really don’t think they’re for sale (laughter). I think they’re about $600 or $900, something like that,” she said.
Maria Sharapova made a strong start to her Wimbledon campaign, claiming a 6-2, 6-2 win over Nuria Llagostera Vives. She then beat Sesil Karatantcheva in dominant fashion, winning 6-0, 6-1.
The Russian continued her commanding run against Katarina Srebotnik, winning 6-2, 6-4. She advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Nathalie Dechy.
Sharapova progressed to the semifinals without dropping a set, beating Nadia Petrova 7-6(3), 6-3. However, her campaign ended in the last-four, with Venus Williams claiming a 7-6(2), 6-1 win. Williams went on to win the Wimbledon 2005 title, beating compatriot Lindsay Davenport 4-6, 7-6(4), 9-7 in the final.
