Famous Tennis Players
Maria Sharapova
Russian Maria Yuryevna Sharapova was born on April 19 1987 in Nyagan, Russia. She is a former World No. 1 Russian professional tennis player and currently World No. 5. While having Belorussian roots and residing in the USA, Sharapova holds Russian citizenship.
Her career
At the age of three, Sharapova moved with her family to the resort town of Sochi and began to play tennis at the age of four. At age five or six, at a tennis clinic in Moscow, Sharapova was spotted by Martina Navratilova, who urged her parents to get her serious coaching in the United States.
In 2004 Sharapova became the third youngest Wimbledon women's champion and second youngest in the Open Era by defeating two-time champion Serena Williams in straight sets (6-1, 6-4). She also became the first Russian ever to win that tournament.
From June 2004 until her Wimbledon semi-final appearance in 2005, Sharapova had a 22-match winning streak on grass which included back-to-back Birmingham titles and the Wimbledon crown. Sharapova's huge success continued after winning Wimbledon with a victory at the WTA Season-Ending Championships and consistent results. In June 2005, Forbes magazine listed Sharapova as the highest-paid female athlete in the world, with annual earnings of $18 million, a significant portion of this amount came from endorsements.
Defending her Wimbledon title in 2005 proved to be a simple enough task at first, with Sharapova sailing through to the semi-finals with ease without losing a set. However, she dropped her first set of the tournament against a rejuvenated Venus Williams and lost the match 6-7 1-6 in one of the most thrilling and masterful displays of power and accuracy seen in the women's game. Sharapova's streak on grass was ended, as was her quest for the No. 1 ranking, with Lindsay Davenport, who lost a historic match to Venus Williams in the 2005 Wimbledon final, holding firm.
Sharapova was suffering from an injury and did not complete a tournament during the season, but she had fewer points to defend and therefore rose to the No. 1 ranking on August 22, 2005. Sharapova's reign was short-lived, lasting only a week after Davenport re-ascended after winning the New Haven title. Sharapova rose to the No. 1 ranking again on September 12, 2005 despite losing in the Semi-finals of the US Open.
She lost against Kim Clijsters in the semifinal of the 2005 US Open, this marked the fourth time that season in which she lost at a Grand Slam tournament against the eventual champion:
2003
WTA Newcomer of the Year
2004
WTA Player of the Year
WTA Most Improved Player of the Year
WTA Player Service
2005
ESPY Best Female Tennis Player
Named Russia's tennis federation as the country's best female player for the year awarded the honorary Master of Sports of Russia title.
Back to Famous Players Bios
|