Maria Yuryevna Sharapova is a professional tennis player from Russia who is ranked third in the world by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA). Sharapova became world No. 1 for the first time on August 22, 2005, when she was 18 years old, and she held the position for four weeks, from June 11, 2012, to July 8, 2012.
Sharapova’s Personal Life
Maria Sharapova was an athlete born on April 19, 1987, in Nyagan, Russia, to Yuri and Yelena.
She and her father moved from Russia to the United States of America in 1994 to attend the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida. Her mother was forced to return to Russia because she did not obtain a visa and only joined them after two years.
Maria Sharapova was not admitted to the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy immediately because she was too young. She began her tennis training at the Rick Macci Tennis Academy before signing a contract with the International Management Group (IMG), a global sports and talent management organization based in New York.
Her Career
Maria Sharapova, then seventeen, became the first Russian player to win Wimbledon, the prestigious tennis tournament held each summer in London, England. Wimbledon is one of tennis' four Grand Slam tournaments, along with the US Open, French Open, and Australian Open, and winners of these competitions have defeated the best players in the world.
Sharapova, who had spent much of her life in Florida at a renowned tennis academy, was the third youngest Wimbledon champion in history, with a $1 million prize purse for her women's singles title. She was then signed to several product endorsement deals.
By the summer of 2005, she had been named the highest-paid female athlete in the world by Forbes magazine's Celebrity 100 list.
Maria Sharapova broke into the top ten for the first time in 2004. Maria Sharapova won her first-ever grand slam singles title at Wimbledon in 2004. Maria Sharapova defeated Serena Williams in the 2004 WTA Tour Championships finals.
Maria Sharapova became the first Russian woman to hold the world's No. 1 ranking on August 22, 2005. With her French Open victory in 2012, Maria Sharapova became only the tenth woman to complete a Career Grand Slam.
At the 2012 French Open, Maria Sharapova won her first grand slam singles title since 2008 and her fourth overall, becoming the sixth woman in open history to complete a Career Grand Slam in singles. She has five Grand Slam titles and 35 singles titles to her name. Maria Sharapova was the first torchbearer in Russia's 2014 Winter Olympics lighting ceremony.
Because of her popularity and good looks, she has endorsed various brands aside from sports. Maria Sharapova has also expressed her support for the United Nations Development Programme. She received the ESPY award for being the best tennis player.
Maria Sharapova was named WTA Humanitarian of the Year in 2010, as well as WTA Most Fashionable Player (on and off the court) and WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player. She has been a brand ambassador for several well-known companies, including Motorola, Tiffany, Land Rover, Canon, Tropicana, Gatorade, Nike, Porsche, and Tag Heuer.