Can you imagine a moment this special?!
Maria Sharapova hit her very first ball at a tennis court right there in Sochi, and she talked about it with Matt Lauer (below)! In fact, the town even painted a very special mural for the hometown girl!
And even if you’re not a Sharapova fan, Lauer’s ‘No-Shave Sochi’ beard is worth watching too! Ha!
The fifth highest ranked women’s tennis player in the world also got to carry the Olympic torch into Fisht Olympic Stadium, and it was one of the best moments of her life! She tweeted:
That was the best jog of my life! Running will never feel the same. #OpeningCeremony
— Maria Sharapova (@MariaSharapova) February 7, 2014
We can’t even imagine what a thrill and total honor that would be!
Ch-ch-check out Maria’s interview (below) to get the rest of the deets on her magical time at the Olympics.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy