Sharapova spills all on The School of Greatness podcast

A champion doesn't just grow from their victories, but also from their defeats and no one knows that better than Maria Sharapova. The five-time Grand Slam champion handled her initial suspension with grace and positivity. Her patience paid off as her ban was reduced from two years to 15 months, meaning she will be back in April.

Last week, she went on "The School of Greatness with Lewis Howes" podcast to discuss not just her suspension or tennis in general, but also her life as an entrepreneur, public figure and brand ambassador.

"Many people have said, especially in the press, why is she celebrating a 15-month ban?" Sharapova said in the interview. "That's far from what I'm celebrating. I'm certainly not celebrating that I’ve been banned for 15 months. What I'm celebrating is that I've come through this time a better person than I was seven months ago..."

Sharapova talked about what makes her so driven to continue being the best.

"Because I love the sport, I love the feeling of playing," the 29-year-old said "Selfishly, as a woman, it's a really good feeling to be good at what you do, to feel strong and powerful, and know that by working on it you can be better. There's nothing else that I do where I feel that."

She also went into depth on what's "normal" about her.

"I want to be believe that I have my feet on the ground because of the way that I was raised..." she said. "The things my dad taught me on the court were very much life lessons and the things that my mom taught me off the court were very much cultural things. My parents were realists and that's very hard where you're in a celebrity world."

The interview is a little long at almost 75 minutes, but it's well worth a listen to learn about the life and influences behind one of the world's most high-profile athletes.

Follow Niko on Twitter: @nikovercelletto