Maria Sharapova Bio And Facts

Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova is a famous former professional tennis player. Her rise to fame came when she became the first Russian woman to win Wimbledon. She’s also had success at other high ranking tennis competitions and even the Olympics. However, she faced a lot of controversy when she was suspended from playing tennis after testing positive for banned substances.

This controversy received a lot of media attention and made Sharapova even more of a household name. She went back to competing once her ban from tennis was lifted. After playing for three more years, she retired in 2020 but remains one of the greatest and most well-known tennis players of all time.

• Birthday: April 19th, 1987 (19-04-1987)
• Education: IMG Academy, The Keystone School
• Net Worth: $180 Million
• Occupation: Former Professional Tennis Player
• Height: 6’2” (1.88 m)
• Weight: 150 lbs (68kg)
• Position: Right Handed
• Years Active: 2001-2020 (19 years)
• Career Wins: 645 total wins including 5 Grand Slam Titles and 36 Single Titles
• Career Losses: 171 total losses
• Nicknames: The Siberian Siren
• Teams: Russian National Team

Social Media

• Twitter
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website

Net Worth

Maria Sharapova has an estimated net worth of $180 million. Sharapova gained lots of sponsorships from top brands including Nike, Porsche, Tiffany & Co, and more. These sponsorships are part of the reason she was rated as one of the highest paid female athletes for many years. After the drug scandal, some sponsors dropped her but a lot stuck with her through it.

Tennis Career

Maria Sharapova was born in Nyagan, Siberia and started playing tennis very young. Her natural talents were noticed and when she was six her family moved to the US for Sharapova to receive professional training in Florida. Her career picked up fast and by 13 she had won the Girls 16s competition. She officially went pro at just 14 years old and became the youngest girl to reach the finals at the Australian Open Junior Championship in 2002.

In 2003, she won her first WTA Title at the Japan Open Tennis Competition. She then won at Wimbledon the next year when she was 17. She was the first woman Russian athlete to do this and also became the first Russian tennis player to be ranked first worldwide in 2005. She won her second Grand Slam title in 2006 and another in 2008 after battling shoulder problems. She eventually had to get shoulder surgery, but by 2012 she claimed her fourth Grand Slam title at the French Open. She was the tenth woman to complete a career Grand Slam.

Additionally, she won a silver medal at the London 2012 Olympics and a fifth Grand Slam at the French Open in 2014. She struggled with her ranking after returning to the sport once her suspension was completed for taking a banned substance. She decided to retire in 2020.

Titles and Awards

• 1x Australian Open Singles Champion (2008)
• 2x French Open Singles Champion (2012, 2014)
• 1x Wimbledon Singles Champion (2004)
• 1x US Open Singles Champion (2006)
• 2012 Olympic silver medalist
• 2004 WTA Player of the Year

In addition to five Grand Slam titles and 36 other singles titles, Maria Sharapova has received a lot of other awards throughout her impressive and record breaking tennis career. She won the WTA Newcomer of the Year Award in 2003. She was appointed to be the United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for the UNDP in 2007 where she focused on the Chernobyl recovery projects.

In 2007, Sharapova was awarded the Teen Choice Award for the Female Athlete category. She won the ESPY Best Female Tennis Tennis Player Award in 2008, 2012, and 2014. She had the honor of torch bearing when Russia hosted the Winter Olympics in 2014. In addition to all of these impressive accolades, Maria Sharapova has been ranked the number one female tennis player in the world several times throughout her 19-year professional tennis career. 

Personal Life

Maria Sharapova was raised in Siberia, Russia. Her natural tennis gifts made her family work hard to move to the USA in order for Sharapova to get more opportunities. Her dad worked whatever jobs he could find while his daughter trained in Florida. She received a scholarship when she was nine to train at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Maria’s career moved quickly after that.

Sharapova also has her own business ventures like Sugarpova, her candy company launched in 2012. Part of the sales help her non-profit business, the Maria Sharapova Foundation. Her foundation helps provide scholarships to children impacted by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Fun Facts

• Maria Sharapova turned down a small role on the Desperate Housewives. Her reasoning? She said that she isn’t desperate or a housewife. 
• She beat Serena Williams at Wimbledon when she was 17.
• She was formerly engaged to Slovenian basketball player Shash Vujaic but they broke it off in 2012.
• Sharapova has lived in the US throughout her career, but she isn’t a citizen since she keeps her Russian citizenship status.
• Maria Sharapova officially announced her retirement from professional tennis on February 26th, 2020 in a Vanity Fair Essay.
• Her nickname, The Siberian Siren, comes from her loud grunts she makes while playing tennis. Her loudest scream reaches as high as 105 decibels.
• She was Yahoo’s most searched athlete in 2005 and 2008.
• Maria Sharapova’s favorite city is London and her favorite colors are yellow and pink.
• In 2006, Sharapova went on a 19 match win streak.

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