- Maria Sharapova, the world's number one tennis player, achieved great success at a young age. In 2004, at just 17 years old, she reached the finals at Wimbledon, facing off against defending champion Serena Williams. Despite Williams' reputation, Sharapova appeared more confident on the court and emerged victorious. This win was not only a dream come true for Sharapova, but also a significant moment for women's tennis in Russia. She became the third youngest female to claim the title in Wimbledon's history.
2. Throughout her career, Sharapova has been ranked number one by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) five times, totaling 21 weeks. She first achieved the top ranking on August 22, 2005, and held it until July 8, 2012, for almost four weeks.
3. Off the court, Sharapova enjoys reading books, particularly the "Sherlock Holmes" and "Pippi Longstocking" series. She also has interests in modeling, fashion, singing, jazz dancing, and movies, with "Pearl Harbor" being one of her favorites. When it comes to food, she loves Russian cuisine and any kind of dessert.
4. In 2007, Sharapova suffered a shoulder injury that affected her game and led to a series of losses. Despite this setback, she remained one of the top five women's tennis players by the end of the year. Eventually, the injury forced her to undergo surgery and take a break from tennis. After a year of treatment and rehabilitation, she returned to the game in 2011 and finished the year ranked fourth, her first top-five finish since 2007. However, her shoulder injury continued to impact her performance, resulting in losses in various tournaments.
5. Sharapova was engaged to professional basketball player Sasha Vujačić, but they quietly ended their engagement several months before she announced it during a post-match news conference at the US Open in 2012.
6. Throughout her career, Sharapova has had numerous endorsement deals. She signed with Motorola after her Wimbledon win in 2004 and Nike when she was just 11 years old in 1997. She also launched her own tennis apparel line, the Nike Maria Sharapova Collection, in 2010. Her endorsements with Nike alone earned her a significant amount of money, and she has been ranked as the highest-paid female athlete in the world and the highest-paid athlete in Russia for several years. She has also appeared in commercials for brands like Land Rover and Canon, and has collaborated with watch brand Tag Heuer and jeweler Tiffany & Co.
7. Sharapova's journey to success began when her father took her to the US for tennis lessons in 1994, following the advice of Martina Navrátilová. Despite the challenges of not knowing English and living alone, Sharapova's talent and dedication propelled her career forward. She eventually joined the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida, where she trained alongside other tennis stars.
8. Sharapova started playing tennis at the age of four, after receiving a tennis racquet from Aleksandr Kafelnikov, the father of Russian tennis player Yevgeny Kafelnikov. Despite her family's limited financial resources, they supported her passion for tennis and never pressured her to prioritize academics over sports.
9. In 2004-2005, Sharapova was the most searched athlete on Yahoo, despite not winning any major tournaments that year. Her popularity remained strong, and she continued to make headlines.
10. Sharapova was born in Nyagan, Siberia, Russia on April 19, 1987. Her parents, Youri and Yelena Sharapova, moved to Sochi when she was two years old due to the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. It was in Sochi that she met Aleksandr Kafelnikov, who introduced her to tennis. Recognizing her talent, her father enrolled her in a tennis academy at the age of six.
