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Maria Sharapova

Country (sports)	Russia
Residence	Bradenton, Florida, U.S.
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Turned pro	April 19, 2001
Plays	Right-handed; two-handed backhand
Prize money	US$12,122,252
Singles
Career record	303-69
Career titles	19
Highest ranking	1 (August 22, 2005)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	W (2008)
French Open	SF (2007)
Wimbledon	W (2004)
US Open	W (2006)
Doubles
Career record	23-16
Career titles	3
Highest ranking	41 (June 14, 2004)
Last updated on: June 9, 2008.

Maria Yuryevna Sharapova (Template:Lang-ru listen) (born April 19, 1987) is a former World No. 1 Russian professional tennis player who is currently ranked World No. 3. She has won three Grand Slam singles titles. In 2004 at the age of 17, she defeated Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final. Two years later, she defeated Justine Henin in the final of the 2006 US Open. At the 2008 Australian Open, Sharapova beat Ana Ivanović in the final. Sharapova has been ranked in the top 10 since winning Wimbledon in 2004, the longest of any current female tennis player.

At the end of 2006, Sharapova was the world's highest-paid female athlete. She is currently coached by her father, Yuri Sharapov, and former player Michael Joyce.

Playing style

Sharapova has been labeled as a power offensive baseliner by tennis critics and fans. Likewise, critics claim that, for her height, Sharapova has decent agility on-court. Sharapova also is not a traditional volleyer, instead using a powerful "swinging" volley for net approaches. Sharapova usually serves for placement, but uses enough power on her first and second serve that attacking that stroke is very difficult for her opponents. She has been trying to develop her "all-power" game, while also adding in slice, drop shots and drop volleys.

Because of shoulder injuries, Sharapova adopted a new service action with a shorter backswing after Wimbledon 2007. Her first and second serve became less effective during the majority of the 2007 season. Previously, she had an elongated backswing to generate power on her serve. However, as a trade-off, the swing also placed incredible strain on her shoulder, leading to Sharapova's shoulder injury at the beginning of the 2007 season. With her shoulder injury apparently healed, Sharapova has since returned to her elongated service motion, and her serve has been more effective in 2008.

Sharapova is ambidextrous and played left-handed until she was ten years old, before deciding to play right-handed. Although she almost always employs a right-handed forehand and double-handed backhand, she has one of the most accurate double-handed backhand shots and is known to occasionally hit left-handed shots as a result of her early left-handed training. She has also been criticised for her loud on-court "grunting."

Sharapova has won every Grand Slam singles title except the French Open. She believes that winning the French Open will be a big challenge and has described her movement on clay as like a "cow on ice."

Career

Early life and career

The Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986 compelled Sharapova's parents, Yuri and Yelena, ethnic Russians, to move from Gomel, Belarus, to the town of Nyagan in Siberia, Russia to live with Yelena's father. Maria was born the following year.

When Maria was two, the family moved to Sochi, where Yuri befriended the father of the eventual men's Grand Slam champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov. It was he who gave Maria her first tennis racket at the age of 4, and she and Yuri began to regularly practice in the local park. At the age of 6, Maria attended a tennis clinic in Moscow run by Martina Navratilova, who said Maria was talented but required professional training, recommending the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida. Yuri and Maria, neither of whom could speak English, moved there in 1994. Because of visa restrictions, Yelena could not originally move with them, but she eventually joined them two years later. To fund Maria's lessons, Yuri held a variety of jobs, including washing plates, and until Maria was 12, she was transported to the Academy each day on the handlebars of Yuri's bicycle, as they could not afford any other method of transport. Maria developed rapidly at the Academy and began playing junior tournaments.

Sharapova turned professional in 2001, although she played a total of just two WTA tournaments in 2001 and 2002 plus six challenger events. In 2002, she became the youngest girl to reach the final at the junior Australian Open and repeated this feat at Wimbledon later in the year. She also won three titles on the ITF Circuit and played her first matches on the main WTA Tour, including winning a match at the Tier I Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California.

2003

Sharapova started playing tour events full-time in 2003. She won three qualifying matches at both the Australian Open and the French Open to reach the main draw, although she lost in the first round in both events. She received a wild card into the main draw at Wimbledon, losing in the fourth round to compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova 6–1, 2–6, 7–5 after defeating the 21st seed and the 11th seed in the second and third rounds, respectively. Sharapova then lost in the second round of the US Open to Emilie Loit. In October, Sharapova won her first title at the Tier III tournament in Tokyo and then won her second Tier III tournament four weeks later in Quebec City. She finished the year at World No. 32 and was named the WTA Newcomer of the Year.

2004

Sharapova started the year by reaching the third round of the Australian Open, where she lost to seventh-seeded Anastasia Myskina 6–4, 1–6, 6–2. The week after the Australian Open, Sharapova lost in the second round of the Tier I Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo to Daniela Hantuchova. She then returned to the United States for three hard court tournaments, reaching the semifinals in Memphis, the fourth round at the Tier I Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California, and the fourth round of the Tier I Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida.

During the spring clay court season leading up to the French Open, Sharapova lost in the third round at both Berlin and Rome, which were both Tier I events. At the French Open, Sharapova reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam singles tournament for the first time in her career, losing to Paola Suárez 6–1, 6–3.

The tour then switched to grass courts in the lead up to Wimbledon. In Birmingham, Sharapova defeated Tatiana Golovin to win the title.

The 17-year-old Sharapova went into Wimbledon as the thirteenth seed. She reached her second consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal, where she defeated Ai Sugiyama 5–7, 7–5, 6–1, and then upset fifth-seeded and former World No. 1 Lindsay Davenport in the semifinals 2–6, 7–6, 6–1. She then faced two-time defending champion Serena Williams in the final, with Williams the heavy favorite. Sharapova, however, caused one of the biggest upsets in Wimbledon history by beating Williams 6–1, 6–4, to become the third-youngest Wimbledon women's champion (after Lottie Dod and Martina Hingis) and second-youngest in the open era. She was the first Russian to win the tournament and was, at the time, the lowest seed to win the women's event. (Venus Williams was seeded lower when she won the tournament subsequently in 2005 and 2007.)

During the North American summer hard court season leading up to the US Open, Sharapova played three tournaments. She lost to Myskina in the quarterfinals of the Tier I tournament in San Diego. She lost to Vera Zvonareva in the third round of the Tier I tournament in Montreal. And she lost in the second round of the tournament in New Haven.

At the US Open, Sharapova lost to French player and two-time Grand Slam champion Mary Pierce in the third round 4–6, 6–2, 6–3. During the tournament, Sharapova and several other Russian women tennis players wore a black ribbon in observance of the tragedy after the Beslan school hostage crisis, which took place only a few days before.

Sharapova then played three tournaments in Asia. She lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the semifinals of the China Open in Beijing. During the next two weeks, Sharapova won the Tier IV tournament in Seoul, South Korea and successfully defended her Tokyo title.

Before returning to the United States, Sharapova reached her first Tier I final in Zurich, losing to Alicia Molik. At the Tier II tournament in Philadelphia, Sharapova reached the semifinals before defaulting her match to Amelie Mauresmo. Sharapova then ended the year by winning the WTA Tour Championships. She defeated an injured Serena Williams in the final after being down 4–0 in the final set. After losing to Sharapova in a semifinal of this event, Myskina said: "He was just yelling and screaming instructions to her and I thought he just might jump right on the court at one point in the match."

Sharapova finished 2004 ranked World No. 4 and was the second-ranked Russian (behind Myskina). She won five titles during the year, trailing only Davenport's seven and equaling Justine Henin's total. Sharapova also topped the prize winnings list for the year.

2005

Sharapova started the year by reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open, where she lost to eventual champion Serena Williams 2–6, 7–5, 8–6, despite holding three match points.

In February, Sharapova won her first Tier I event in Tokyo. Three weeks later, she won the tournament in Doha. To complete the spring hard court season, Sharapova reached the semifinals of the Tier I Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California and the final of the Tier I Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida.

Sharapova participated in two of the clay court tune-ups for the French Open. She lost in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Telecom German Open in Berlin to Justine Henin and the semifinals of the Italian Open in Rome to Patty Schnyder. At the French Open, Sharapova lost in the quarterfinals for the second consecutive year, falling to Henin, the eventual champion.

On grass, Sharapova successfully defended her Birmingham title, defeating Jelena Jankovic in the final to extend her winning streak on grass to 19 matches. She then was unsuccessful in defending her Wimbledon title. She reached the semifinals without losing a set, where she lost to Venus Williams, the eventual champion.

Lindsay Davenport injured her back in the Wimbledon final, preventing her from defending the ranking points she obtained during the U.S. hard-court season of 2004. Sharapova had fewer points to defend and therefore rose to the World No. 1 ranking on August 22, 2005. She was the first Russian woman to hold the position. Her reign lasted only one week, however, as Davenport re-ascended to the top ranking after winning the title in New Haven.

At the US Open, Sharapova lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Kim Clijsters. Sharapova lost to the eventual champion in all four Grand Slam events of 2005. Nevertheless, the points she accumulated at the US Open meant that she once again leapfrogged Davenport to take the World No. 1 ranking on September 12, 2005. She kept that ranking for six weeks before relinquishing it again to Davenport following the Zurich Open.

Sharapova failed to defend her title at the season-ending WTA Tour Championships, losing in the semifinals to eventual champion Amelie Mauresmo.

Sharapova finished the year ranked World No. 4 again and as the top-ranked Russian for the first time. She won three titles during the year and was the only player in 2005 to reach three Grand Slam semifinals.

2006

At the Australian Open, Sharapova lost in the semifinals to Justine Henin 4–6, 6–1, 6–4, the only match of the year that Sharapova lost after winning the first set.

Sharapova claimed her first title of 2006 and eleventh of her career at the Tier I Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California. She defeated fourth-seeded Elena Dementieva in the final 6–1, 6–2.

Sharapova then lost in the final of the Tier I Sony Ericsson Open to Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Sharapova participated at the French Open without having played any of the clay court tune-ups because of injury. After saving three match points in the first round against Mashona Washington, Sharapova was eliminated in the fourth round by Dinara Safina 7–5, 2–6, 7–5, after Sharapova led 5–1 in the third set. Sharapova lost 18 of the match's last 21 points.

Sharapova then started the grass court season but failed to add a third successive Birmingham title to her collection, losing in the semifinals to American Jamea Jackson. At Wimbledon, Sharapova was defeated in the semifinals for the second consecutive year, losing to eventual winner and World No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo 6–3, 3–6, 6–2.

Sharapova claimed her second title of 2006 at the Tier I Acura Classic in San Diego, defeating top-seeded Kim Clijsters 7–5, 7–5. This was Sharapova's first victory over Clijsters in five meetings. She then played in Los Angeles, losing to Dementieva in the semifinals. This was Sharapova's only summer hardcourt loss of the year.

Sharapova was the third-seed at the US Open. She defeated Tatiana Golovin 7–6, 7–6 in the quarterfinals before defeating Mauresmo in a semifinal 6–0, 4–6, 6–0. Sharapova then prevailed over second-ranked Henin in the final 6–4, 6–4 to win her second Grand Slam singles title, having dropped just one set en route and joining the list of eight players who had beaten the top two players in the world to win a Grand Slam singles title.

Sharapova then won two tournaments in consecutive weeks. At the Tier I Zurich Open, Sharapova defeated Daniela Hantuchova in the final. At the Generali Ladies Linz, Sharapova beat fellow Russian and defending champion Nadia Petrova to take her fifth title of 2006 and the 15th title of her career.

Until her loss in the semifinals of the WTA Tour Championships to Henin, Sharapova had won 19 consecutive matches. She finished the year at World No. 2 and, for the second year, as the top Russian player. During the year, she compiled a 59-9 record and won five titles (second only to Henin's six), including three Tier I titles, more than any other player.

2007

Sharapova reached the final of the JB Group Classic, an exhibition tournament in Hong Kong, where she was defeated by Kim Clijsters 6–3, 7–6(8). Sharapova was the top seed at the Australian Open because of World No. 1 Justine Henin's withdrawal. She came within two points from defeat in the first round against 62nd-ranked Camille Pin, but ultimately won 6–3, 4–6, 9–7. In the semifinals, Sharapova defeated fourth-seeded Clijsters to reach her first Australian Open final and gain the opportunity to win the only Grand Slam singles title that a Russian woman had not yet won. However, Serena Williams, ranked World No. 81, overpowered Sharapova 6–1, 6–2 in the final. Reaching the final allowed Sharapova to recapture the World No. 1 ranking.

Partly due to hamstring and shoulder injuries that reduced the effectiveness of her serve, Sharapova did not win any of her next three tournaments. At the Tier I Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Sharapova retired from her semifinal match with Ana Ivanovic. At the Tier I Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California, Sharapova lost to Vera Zvonareva in the fourth round 4–6, 7–5, 6–1 after Sharapova lead 5–4 in the second set, and consequently lost the World No. 1 ranking In the fourth round of the Tier I Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida, Sharapova lost to Serena Williams for the second consecutive time 6–1, 6–1.

A shoulder injury forced Sharapova to miss most of the clay court season for the second consecutive year. Her only tune-up for the French Open was the Istanbul Cup, where she lost to Frenchwoman Aravane Rezaï in the semifinals. She then reached the semifinals of the French Open for the first time in her career (saving a match point against Patty Schnyder in the fourth round), but fell to Ivanovic 6–2, 6–1.

On grass at the DFS Classic in Birmingham, United Kingdom, Sharapova lost in the final to second seeded Jelena Jankovic 4–6, 6–3, 7–5. At Wimbledon, Sharapova lost to eventual champion Venus Williams in the fourth round 6–1, 6–3.

Sharapova's first summer hardcourt tournament was the Tier I Acura Classic in San Diego, California, where she won her first title of the year, defeating Patty Schnyder in the final. At the East West Bank Classic in Los Angeles the next week, a shin injury forced her to withdraw from her semifinal match with fellow Russian Nadia Petrova shortly before the match started. Nevertheless, she clinched the US Open Series for the first time.

Seeded second at the 2007 U.S. Open, Sharapova won her first two matches with the loss of only two games but then lost her third round match to 18-year-old Pole Agnieszka Radwańska 6–4, 1–6, 6–2, partly due to poor serving and a host of unforced errors. It was Sharapova's earliest exit at a Grand Slam singles tournament since she lost in the same round at the 2004 U.S. Open.

Sharapova did not play again until the Tier I Kremlin Cup in Moscow in October, where she lost to Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in the second round, 7–6(9), 6–2 (after a first-round bye). The recurring shoulder problem then forced Sharapova to withdraw from events in Zurich and Linz, at both of which she was the defending champion. These losses meant that Sharapova fell out of the top five on the rankings for the first time in three years.

Sharapova qualified for the WTA Tour Championships only because Venus Williams withdrew from the tournament. She won all her round-robin matches, including a 6-1, 6-2 win over Ana Ivanovic. She then defeated Anna Chakvetadze 6–2, 6–2 in the semifinals. In the final, Sharapova lost to World No. 1 Henin 5–7, 7–5, 6–3 in a match that lasted 3 hours and 24 minutes. This was the 12th longest tour match during the open era.

Sharapova ended the year as World No. 5 on the official WTA tour rankings, the fourth consecutive year that she finished in the top five. However, for the first time since 2004, she did not finish the year as the top ranked Russian. Kuznetsova, who finished World No. 2, held that honor. Sharapova also won just one title (at San Diego), the first time she had failed to win at least two titles since 2002 (when she played just three WTA matches).

2008

Sharapova reached the final of the JB Group Classic exhibition tournament in Hong Kong, where she lost to Venus Williams in the final 6–4, 6–3. She was the fifth seed at the Australian Open, her lowest seeding at a Grand Slam singles tournament since the 2004 U.S. Open. She progressed to the quarterfinals without dropping a set. She then defeated World No. 1 Justine Henin 6–4, 6–0, ending her 32-match winning streak. Sharapova then reached her second consecutive Australian Open final when she defeated an injured Jelena Jankovic 6–3, 6–1. She defeated Ana Ivanovic in the final, dropping only 10 service points during the match. She won this tournament without dropping a set.

After the Australian Open, Sharapova extended her winning streak to 18 matches, a run that included two wins on her Fed Cup debut and winning the Tier I tournament in Doha, defeating Vera Zvonareva in a three-set final. She was defeated for the first time in 2008 in the semifinals of Indian Wells by Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3,5-7, 6-2. Sharapova then withdrew from the Tier I Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida because of a shoulder injury.

At the Tier II Bausch & Lomb Championships in Amelia Island, Florida, Sharapova was the top-seeded player. She progressed to her first career clay court final, where she defeated Dominika Cibulkova. In the third round, she had defeated Anabel Medina Garrigues 7–6(3), 5–7, 7–6(1) in 3 hours and 27 minutes, her longest ever match. Immediately after this win, her ranking rose to World No. 4. At the Tier I Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina the next week, Sharapova lost to Serena Williams in the quarterfinals 7–5, 4–6, 6–1 after Sharapova had a set point at 5-3 in the first set and served for the set at 5–4. Sharapova claimed the second set but then lost the first five games of the final set. Her ranking rose to World No. 3 as a result of this tournament.

Sharapova was the second-seeded player at the Tier I Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome. She defeated Patty Schnyder in the quarterfinals 6–7(3), 7–5, 6–2 but then did not play her semifinal against Jankovic due to a calf injury. Sharapova nevertheless regained the World No. 1 ranking because of Henin's sudden retirement from professional tennis and request to the Women's Tennis Association that her own ranking be removed immediately.

Sharapova was the top-seeded player at the French Open. In the first round, she defeated compatriot Evgeniya Rodina 6–1, 3–6, 8–6 after being two points from becoming the first female top seeded player in the open era to lose in the first round of this tournament. She ultimately lost to 13th seed and eventual runner-up Dinara Safina in a 2 hour, 52 minute fourth round match 6–7(6), 7–6(5), 6–2, after Sharapova had a match point at 5–3 in the second set. She lost the World No. 1 ranking as a result of this loss.

Sharapova withdrew from the DFS Classic in Birmingham, United Kingdom because of a shoulder injury sustained during the French Open. Her next scheduled tournament is Wimbledon, for which she is seeded third. After that, Sharapova intends to play the Tier I Rogers Cup in Montreal, the Olympics, and the US Open.

Record against other top players

As of May 19, 2008, Sharapova's win-loss record against certain players who have been ranked World No. 5 or higher is as follows:

• Elena Dementieva 8-2
• Daniela Hantuchova 7-1
• Anna Chakvetadze 6-0
• Lindsay Davenport 5-1
• Nadia Petrova 5-1
• Jelena Jankovic 4-1
• Svetlana Kuznetsova 4-4
• Mary Pierce 3-1
• Ana Ivanovic 3-2
• Venus Williams 3-2
• Kim Clijsters 3-4
• Justine Henin 3-6
• Martina Hingis 2-1
• Anastasia Myskina 2-3
• Serena Williams 2-5
• Jelena Dokic 1-0
• Amelie Mauresmo 1-3
• Jennifer Capriati 0-1
• Monica Seles 0-1

Personal life

Sharapova has lived in the United States since moving there at the age of 7 but retains her Russian citizenship. She has a home in Manhattan Beach, California and in early 2008, purchased a penthouse apartment in Netanya, Israel.

On February 14 2007, Sharapova was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and donated US$100,000 to UNDP Chernobyl-recovery projects. She is planning on traveling back to the area after Wimbledon in 2008.

She is also a Job's Daughters

Fashion

Sharapova is well known for designing her tennis outfits which are unique, especially during the grand slam tournaments; among her most memorable were her 2006 nighttime US Open dress, inspired by Audrey Hepburn's look from Breakfast at Tiffany's, her swan inspired white dress during 2007 Wimbledon and her 2007 US Open night dress, which was red and sequined with over 600 Swarovski crystals. She has been voted the best dressed player of the tournament.

Awards

See: WTA Awards

2003

• Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Newcomer of the Year

2004

• WTA Player of the Year
• WTA Most Improved Player of the Year

2005

• ESPY Best Female Tennis Player
• Named the country's best female player for the year by Russia's tennis federation
• Master of Sports of Russia
• Prix de Citron Roland Garros

2006

• Named the country's best female player for the year by Russia's tennis federation
• Whirlpool 6th Sense Player of the Year

2007

• ESPY Best Female Tennis Player
• ESPY Best International Female Athlete
• ESPN Hottest Female Athlete

2008

• Named the January 2008 female Athlete of the Month by the United States Sports Academy for her performance at the Australian Open

Endorsements

Arguably, the combination of her tennis success and physical beauty have enabled her to secure commercial endorsements that greatly exceed in value her tournament winnings. In April 2005, People Magazine named her one of the 50 most beautiful celebrities in the world. In 2006, Maxim magazine ranked Sharapova the hottest athlete in the world for the fourth consecutive year. She posed in a six-page bikini photoshoot spread in the 2006 Valentine's Day issue of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, alongside 25 scantily-clad supermodels. In a poll run by Britain's FHM magazine, she was voted the seventh most eligible bachelorette, based on both "wealth and looks."

In 2001, Sharapova signed a multi-million dollar deal with Nike.

Sharapova used the Prince Tour Diablo for part of 2003 and then used several different Prince racquets until the US Open. She gave the racquet she used in the 2004 Wimbledon final to Regis Philbin when taping Live with Regis and Kelly. Sharapova began using the Prince Shark OS at that tournament and had a major part in the production of the Shark racquet. She then switched to the Prince O3 White racquet in January 2006.

In June 2005, Forbes magazine listed her as the highest-paid female athlete in the world, with annual earnings of over US$18 million. (CBS, the American television network, reported in August 2006 that the figure is over US$20 million.) The majority is made from endorsements and sponsorships. In a later interview, she said, "You know, one of the greatest things about being an athlete and, you know, making money is realizing that you can help, you know, help the world, and especially children, who I absolutely love working with."

In 2005 during a photo shoot for Canon, a lewd photo was taken of Sharapova without her knowledge by Japanese advertising agency Dentsu. The company currently has a lawsuit related to this incident.

Current sponsors

• Canon - Canon U.S.A., Inc., announced an extension of its marketing relationship with Sharapova through 2010.
• Colgate
• Gatorade
• Land Rover
• Nike, Inc. - Sharapova endorses accessories, apparel, and footwear.
• Parlux Fragrances
• Prince Sports - signed a lifetime endorsement in January 2007
• Sony Ericsson - On January 14 2008, Sharapova signed a four-year sponsorship agreement.
• Tag Heuer
• Tiffany & Co.- two-year contract starting May 2008
• Tropicana

Video games

Sharapova has been depicted in many tennis-related video games, along with such players as Daniela Hantuchova, Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams, and Anna Kournikova. Some of the titles are Top Spin (Play Station 2 version), Top Spin 2, Smash Court Tennis 3 and Virtua Tennis 3. She is due to appear in Top Spin 3, which is to be released June 23 2008.

Quotations

• When asked at the press conference after the 2006 US Open final about her father's illegal signaling and feeding her during the match: I believe, at the end of the day, personally, my life is not about a banana.
• When questioned about her on-court grunting at the 2006 Australian Open: I know this is your job. But take your notepads, take your pencils down, take your grunt-o-meters down, the fashion police, put it all away and just watch the match.
• Reporter (after Sharapova won her second round at the 2007 French Open): So, how do you feel when you get back on court after not hitting balls, do you actually feel stronger and faster as a result?

Sharapova: No, I feel terrible. I feel like a cow on ice. Especially on clay.

• I’ve been playing against older and stronger competition my whole life. It has made me a better tennis player and able to play against this kind of level despite their strength and experience.
• When I was working my way to the top of tennis, I didn't say I was number two, I said I wanted to be number one.
• A great tennis career is something that a 15-year-old normally doesn’t have. I hope my example helps other teens believe they can accomplish things they never thought possible.
• Upon hearing that Sports Illustrated had named her in 2006 as the world's best-paid female athlete, Sharapova said, apparently only a little tongue-in-cheek, It's never enough. Bring on the money. There's no limit to how much you can make.
• Writing in her blog, following a third-round exit at the 2007 U.S. Open: I know it's as tough for my fans to handle my losses as it is for me. But let me point something out. I didn't leave my mom at the age of seven for nothing. I didn't spend six hours a day practising in the Florida sun at the age of nine for nothing.... I didn't sleep in little cots for three years, eating oatmeal out of a packet while playing in the middle of nowhere for nothing. All this has helped me build character and there's no better asset than being able to stand up for yourself.

Grand Slam singles finals

Wins (3)

Year	Championship	Opponent in Final	Score in Final
2004	Wimbledon	Serena Williams	6–1, 6–4
2006	US Open	Justine Henin	6–4, 6–4
2008	Australian Open	Ana Ivanovic	7–5, 6–3

Runner-up (1)

Year	Championship	Opponent in Final	Score in Final
2007	Australian Open	Serena Williams	6–1, 6–2

WTA Tour Championships singles finals

Win (1)

Year	Venue	Opponent in Final	Score in Final
2004	Los Angeles	Serena Williams	4–6, 6–2, 6–4

Runner-up (1)

Year	Venue	Opponent in Final	Score in Final
2007	Madrid	Justine Henin	5–7, 7–5, 6–3

WTA Tour titles (22)

Singles (19)

No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent in the final	Score
1.	September 29, 2003	Japan Open Tennis Championships, Tokyo	Hard	Aniko Kapros	2–6, 6–2, 7–6(5)
2.	October 27, 2003	Quebec City, Canada	Hard (i)	Milagros Sequera	6–2 retired
3.	June 7, 2004	Birmingham, United Kingdom	Grass	Tatiana Golovin	4–6, 6–2, 6–1
4.	June 21, 2004	Wimbledon, London	Grass	Serena Williams	6–1, 6–4
5.	September 27, 2004	Seoul, Korea	Hard	Marta Domachowska	6–1, 6–1
6.	October 4, 2004	Japan Open Tennis Championships, Tokyo	Hard	Mashona Washington	6–0, 6–1
7.	November 8, 2004	WTA Championships, Los Angeles	Hard (i)	Serena Williams	4–6, 6–2, 6–4
8.	February 6, 2005	Toray Pan Pacific Open, Tokyo	Carpet (i)	Lindsay Davenport	6–1, 3–6, 7–6(5)
9.	February 21, 2005	Doha, Qatar	Hard	Alicia Molik	4–6, 6–1, 6–4
10.	June 6, 2005	Birmingham, United Kingdom	Grass	Jelena Jankovic	6–2, 4–6, 6–1
11.	March 18, 2006	Indian Wells, California, U.S.	Hard	Elena Dementieva	6–1, 6–2
12.	August 6, 2006	San Diego, U.S.	Hard	Kim Clijsters	7–5, 7–5
13.	September 9, 2006	US Open, New York City	Hard	Justine Henin	6–4, 6–4
14.	October 22, 2006	Zürich, Switzerland	Hard (i)	Daniela Hantuchova	6–1, 4–6, 6–3
15.	October 29, 2006	Linz, Austria	Hard (i)	Nadia Petrova	7–5, 6–2
16.	August 5, 2007	San Diego, U.S.	Hard	Patty Schnyder	6–2, 3–6, 6–0
17.	January 26, 2008	Australian Open, Melbourne	Hard	Ana Ivanovic	7–5, 6–3
18.	February 24, 2008	Doha, Qatar	Hard	Vera Zvonareva	6–1, 2–6, 6–0
19.	April 13, 2008	Amelia Island, U.S.	Clay	Dominika Cibulková	7–6(7), 6–3

Doubles (3)

No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Partnering	Opponents in the final	Score
1.	September 29, 2003	Tokyo, Japan	Hard	Tamarine Tanasugarn	Ansley Cargill Ashley Harkleroad	7–6(1), 6–0
2.	October 20, 2003	Luxembourg, Luxembourg	Hard	Tamarine Tanasugarn	Elena Tatarkova Marlene Weingartner	6–1, 6–4
3.	June 7, 2004	Birmingham, United Kingdom	Grass	Maria Kirilenko	Lisa McShea Milagros Sequera	6–2, 6–1

WTA Tour runner-ups (8)

Singles (7)

No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent in the final	Score
1.	October 24, 2004	Zurich, Switzerland	Hard	Alicia Molik	4–6, 6–2, 6–3
2.	March 3, 2005	Miami, U.S.	Hard	Kim Clijsters	6–3, 7–5
3.	February 26, 2006	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	Hard	Justine Henin	7–5, 6–2
4.	March 2, 2006	Miami, U.S.	Hard	Svetlana Kuznetsova	6–4, 6–3
5.	January 29, 2007	Australian Open, Melbourne	Hard	Serena Williams	6–1, 6–2
6.	June 18, 2007	Birmingham, United Kingdom	Grass	Jelena Jankovic	4–6, 6–3, 7–5
7.	November 11, 2007	WTA Tour Championships, Madrid, Spain	Hard	Justine Henin	5–7, 7–5, 6–3

Doubles (1)

No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Partnering	Opponents in the final	Score
1.	February 16, 2004	Memphis, U.S.	Hard	Vera Zvonareva	Åsa Svensson Meilen Tu	6–4, 7–6(0)

ITF titles (4)

Singles (4)

No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent in the final	Score
1.	April 21, 2002	Gunma, Japan	Clay	Aiko Nakamura	6–4, 6–1
2.	August 4, 2002	Vancouver, Canada	Hard	Laura Granville	0–6, 6–3, 6–1
3.	September 15, 2002	Peachtree City, U.S.	Hard	Kelly McCain	6–0, 6–1
4.	May 11, 2003	Sea Island, U.S.	Clay	Christina Wheeler	6–4, 6–3

Singles performance timeline

To prevent confusion and double counting, information in this table is updated only once a tournament when the player's participation in the tournament has concluded. This table is current through the French Open in Paris, which ended on June 8, 2008.

A = did not participate in the tournament.

SR = the ratio of the number of singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.

Doha became a Tier I event in 2008. San Diego and Zurich are no longer Tier I events.

If ITF women's circuit (Hardcourt: 22-4; Clay: 9-1) participation is included, then her overall win-loss record stands at 303-69.

WTA Tour career earnings

* As of June 9th, 2008.

Notable matches

2004 Wimbledon final: defeated heavily-favored two-time defending champion Serena Williams 6–1, 6–4 to become the third youngest woman to win the title at the All England Club and the lowest seed (at the time) to do so.

2004 WTA Tour Championships final: defeated Serena Williams 4–6, 6–2, 6–4. Sharapova came back from a 4-0 deficit in the third set and won her first WTA Championships trophy.

2005 Australian Open semifinal: defeated by eventual champion Serena Williams 2–6, 7–5, 8–6. Sharapova led 6–2, 5–4 before Williams rallied to win the second set. In the third set, Sharapova again carved out a lead and even held three match points, but Williams battled back once again to win the match.

2005 US Open semifinal: defeated by eventual champion Kim Clijsters 6–2, 6–7(4), 6–3. Sharapova was down 5–2 in the second set and one game away from defeat but fought back to claim the set. Sharapova wound up saving five match points; however, Clijsters won the match on her sixth match point.

2006 Miami semifinal: defeated Tatiana Golovin 6–3, 6–7(5), 4–3 retired. Sharapova had match points at 6–3, 5–1 but could not convert. The third set was close until Golovin was forced to retire after dramatically twisting her ankle. Some criticized Sharapova for turning her back on Golovin, but a television replay showed Sharapova turning her back before the fall. Sharapova later explained that she thought Golovin had simply cramped. When the Frenchwoman retired and was leaving the court, Sharapova gave her a round of applause along with the crowd to show her appreciation.

2006 San Diego final: defeated Clijsters 7–5, 7–5. This was Sharapova's first victory over the Belgian and her first title in San Diego. After this match, Sharapova lost just two more matches during 2006 and claimed three additional titles, including the US Open.

2006 US Open semifinal: defeated Amelie Mauresmo, the World No. 1, 6–0, 4–6, 6–0. This was the first US Open semifinal with two 6-0 sets.

2006 US Open final: defeated Justine Henin 6–4, 6–4 to win her second Grand Slam title. Sharapova beat Henin for only the second time in her career. This was only the eighth time in history that a player beat the world's top two ranked players in a Grand Slam event.

2007 French Open fourth round: defeated Patty Schnyder 3–6, 6–4, 9–7. Sharapova came into the tournament with an injury and overcame two match points against her during this match.

2007 WTA Tour Championships final: defeated by Henin 5–7, 7–5, 6–3. World No. 1 Henin was the pre-match favorite, but Sharapova took the first set on her eighth set point and at one stage in the second set, was a mere five points from victory. The match lasted 3 hours, 24 minutes, making it the 12th longest women's match in the open era. It was widely agreed as the best women's match of 2007, with some citing it as an all-time classic.

2008 Australian Open quarterfinal: defeated Henin 6–4, 6–0. Henin was the World No. 1, but Sharapova won her third victory in nine meetings with Henin. The win snapped Henin's 32-match winning streak and marked the first time Henin had suffered a "bagel" set since 2002. It also marked the first time since 2005 that Henin had lost in a Grand Slam tournament before the semifinals.

2008 Australian Open Final: defeated Ana Ivanovic to claim her third Grand Slam singles title. This was the first time she was favored in a Grand Slam final, but she still was able to win. This gave her a 3-1 Win/Loss record in Slam Finals and now only Roland Garros stands in her way of completing a career Grand Slam.

References

1. ^ "Maria Sharapova Official Site".
2. Martin, John (September 3, 2006). "The Highest Paid Female Athlete On The Planet; Why Sharapova Is So Hot". ABC News. Retrieved 2008-06-01. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
3. ^ Maria Sharapova - Tennis Game Profile
4. Swinging, midcourt volley becomes key weapon among pros
5. Why do women tennis stars grunt?
6. New, stronger Sharapova looks forward to French Open as Ivanovic falls short
7. Sharapova: a cow on ice?
8. ^ Associated Press (2007-08-13). "Maria Sharapova plans 1st trip back to Chernobyl since family fled". International Herald Tribune.
9. The Big Interview: Maria Sharapova (The Times, UK)
10. The Big Interview: Maria Sharapova (The Times, UK)
11. The Big Interview: Maria Sharapova (The Times, UK)
12. The Big Interview: Maria Sharapova (The Times, UK)
13. Sharapova puts loss in perspective
14. Brilliant Sharapova hammers Henin
15. Australian Open Match Statistics
16. Sharapova wins epic battle
17. Jankovic pulls out of Birmingham
18. Hardcourt Season Schedule
19. Player Profiles
20. Cite error: The named reference Guardian_2004_11_28 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
21. Kathy Ehrich-Dowd (2006-04-17). "Celebrity Q & A - Maria Sharapova". People Magazine.
22. Moving on
23. Marc Ganis, the president of SportsCorp Ltd., a sports-industry consultant in Chicago, said, "Never underestimate the importance of physical beauty to an athlete's endorsement opportunities. Other than performance on the court, it may be the single most important asset." The New York Times. Serving Their Clients, September 7, 2006
24. "It does not hurt that Sharapova is regarded as one of the most beautiful athletes in the world." Marketing Maria: Managing the Athlete Endorsement, Harvard Business School Lessons from the classroom, Sara Jane Gilbert, October 29 2007. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
25. "Rod's daughter most eligible". NEWS.COM.AU. February 28, 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-28.
26. Celebrity Sells
27. Hines, Nico. Ad agency sued over lewd picture of Maria Sharapova, The Times, November 2, 2007. Accessed June 2, 2008.
28. "CANON U.S.A. EXTENDS RELATIONSHIP WITH TENNIS STAR MARIA SHARAPOVA THROUGH 2010". Canon U.S.A., Inc.
29. "Maria Sharapova and Sony Ericsson sign 4 year contract". Mobiles2day.com. Maria Sharapova and Sony Ericsson sign 4 year contract
30. Robbins, Liz. Tennis: At last, Sharapova proves it - she's not a 1-hit wonder, International Herald Tribune, September 12, 2006. Accessed June 2, 2008.
31. Beaten Sharapova turns on media, BBC News, January 26, 2006. Accessed June 2, 2008.
32. Maria Sharapova quotes
33. Newbery, Piers. Sharapova proves her worth, BBC News, September 10, 2006. Accessed June 2, 2008.
34. JockBio: Maria Sharapova Quotes
35. Hodgkinson, Mark. Sharapova looks unbeatable in the money stakes, Daily Telegraph, August 17, 2006. Accessed June 2, 2008.
36. The Big Interview: Maria Sharapova)

See also

• List of Grand Slam Women's Singles champions

External links

• Maria Sharapova's Official Site
• Maria Sharapova at the Women's Tennis Association
• {{ITF profile}} template using deprecated numeric ID.
• Maria Sharapova at the Billie Jean King Cup
• Sharapova's record versus other players
• Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue: Maria Sharapova
• Maria Sharapova's Myspace page

Template:Persondata

Template:Link FA

• 1987 births
• Australian Open champions
• Living people
• People from Bradenton, Florida
• Russian expatriates in the United States
• Russian female models
• Russian tennis players
• US Open champions
• Wimbledon champions