Maria Yuryevna Sharapova

9kBw...7TEj

22 Feb 2024

Maria Yuryevna Sharapova is a retired Russian tennis player who made a significant impact on the sport during her career. Here is an overview of her life and career:

Early Life and Career:

Born on April 19, 1987, in Nyagan, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now in Russia).
Moved to the United States in 1994 and became a permanent resident.
Turned professional in 2001 at the age of 14.

Tennis Achievements:

Became world No. 1 for the first time on August 22, 2005, at the age of 18, making her the first Russian woman to top the singles rankings.
Held the world No. 1 ranking for a total of 21 weeks.
Achieved the career Grand Slam, winning major titles at the French Open (2), Australian Open (1), Wimbledon (1), and the US Open (1).
Won a total of 36 singles titles, including the year-end championships on her debut in 2004.
Also won three doubles titles.

Olympic Success:

Won a silver medal in women's singles at the 2012 London Olympics.

Doping Controversy:

Failed a drug test at the 2016 Australian Open, testing positive for meldonium, a substance banned by WADA.
Initially suspended for two years by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) on June 8, 2016.
The suspension was later reduced to 15 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, citing "no significant fault" on October 4, 2016.
Returned to the WTA Tour on April 26, 2017, at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.

Off the Court:

Engaged in modeling, featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, and appeared in various advertisements for brands like Nike, Prince, and Canon.
The face of several fashion houses, notably Cole Haan.
Appointed as a United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador in February 2007, focusing on the Chernobyl Recovery and Development Programme.
Named one of the "30 Legends of Women's Tennis: Past, Present and Future" by Time in June 2011.
Recognized as one of the "100 Greatest of All Time" by Tennis Channel in March 2012.
Forbes reported her as the highest-paid female athlete in the world for 11 consecutive years, earning US$285 million, including prize money, since turning professional in 2001.
Launched a program in 2018 to mentor women entrepreneurs.

Maria Sharapova's career is marked not only by her achievements on the tennis court but also by her influence and success in various off-court pursuits.

Maria Sharapova's Early Life:

Maria Sharapova was born on April 19, 1987, in Nyagan, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union, to Yuri Sharapov and Yelena.
Her parents, originally from Gomel, Byelorussian SSR, moved to Sochi in 1990 due to concerns about the Chernobyl nuclear accident.
Introduced to tennis at the age of four by her father, Yuri, who received a tennis racquet for her from Aleksandr Kafelnikov, father of Russian player Yevgeny Kafelnikov.
Took her initial tennis lessons with Russian coach Yuri Yutkin, who was impressed by her exceptional hand-eye coordination.

Professional Training and Journey to the United States:

In 1993, at the age of six, attended a tennis clinic in Moscow by Martina Navratilova, who recommended professional training at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, under Nick Bollettieri.
To fund her training, her father borrowed money, and in 1994, they traveled to the United States with $700 in savings.
Due to visa restrictions, Sharapova's mother couldn't join them for two years.
Initially trained with Rick Macci, but later signed with IMG, who covered her annual tuition fee of $35,000 at the IMG Academy.

Tennis Career Beginnings:

Gained early recognition by winning the Eddie Herr International Junior Tennis Championships in the girls' 16 division at the age of 13.
Made her professional debut in 2001 at the Pacific Life Open on her 14th birthday.
Participated in junior tournaments, reaching the finals of the Australian Open and Wimbledon girls' singles events in 2002.
Climbed to No. 6 in the ITF junior world singles ranking by October 2002.

2003: First Tournament Titles:

Played her first full season on the WTA Tour.
Won her first WTA title at the Japan Open Tennis Championships.
Won her second title at the Bell Challenge in Quebec City.
Awarded the WTA Newcomer of the Year.

2004: Wimbledon Glory and Rise to Fame:

Reached the semifinals of the Australian Open.
Won her first Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon, defeating Serena Williams in the final.
Entered the top 10 in the rankings for the first time.
Finished the year by winning the WTA Tour Championships.

2005: World No. 1:

Reached the semifinals of the Australian Open and the final of the NASDAQ-100 Open.
Became the world No. 1 on August 22, 2005, the first Russian woman to achieve this ranking.
Retained the world No. 1 ranking for six weeks.

2006: US Open Champion:

Reached the semifinals of the Australian Open and the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Won her second Grand Slam singles title at the US Open, defeating Justine Henin in the final.
Finished the year as world No. 2.

Maria Sharapova's early career was marked by rapid success, including Grand Slam victories and ascending to the world No. 1 ranking. Her achievements in 2004 at Wimbledon and in 2006 at the US Open were particularly noteworthy.

In 2007, Maria Sharapova faced various challenges, including a shoulder injury and a fall from the Top 5 in the world rankings:

Australian Open: Sharapova became the top seed due to Justine Henin's withdrawal but struggled in the first round. She reached the final but lost to Serena Williams, regaining the world No. 1 ranking. However, a hamstring injury at the Pacific Life Open led to a loss in the fourth round, causing her to relinquish the top ranking.
Clay-court Season: A shoulder injury forced her to miss most of the clay-court season. She reached the semifinals of the French Open but lost to Ana Ivanovic. On grass, she was a runner-up at the DFS Classic and suffered an early Wimbledon exit, losing in the fourth round to Venus Williams.
US Open Series: Sharapova won the Acura Classic, defending her title and securing the US Open Series. However, her title defense at the US Open ended with a surprising upset in the third round by Agnieszka Radwańska.
Post-US Open: Sharapova didn't play until the Kremlin Cup in October, where she lost her opening match. This led to her falling out of the top 5 in the world rankings. She qualified for the Sony Ericsson Championships, reaching the final but losing to Henin.

In 2008, Sharapova faced another shoulder injury but had significant achievements:

Australian Open: Seeded fifth, Sharapova won the tournament by defeating Henin in the quarterfinals and Ivanovic in the final, securing her third Grand Slam title.
Winning Streak: After the Australian Open, Sharapova had an 18-match winning streak, winning titles at the Tier I Qatar Open and the Bausch & Lomb Championships.
Shoulder Injury and Surgery: A shoulder injury, diagnosed as a rotator cuff tear, forced her to withdraw from several tournaments, including the Beijing Olympics and the US Open. Sharapova finished the year ranked world No. 9 and underwent surgery in October.

In 2009-2010, Sharapova faced the aftermath of shoulder surgery, a drop in rankings, and a gradual comeback:

Recovery Period: Sharapova missed the Australian Open and began her comeback in March, initially in doubles at the Indian Wells Open.
Grand Slam Performances: She made the quarterfinals at the French Open in 2009, reaching the fourth round at the US Open, and ending the season at world No. 14. In 2010, she struggled at Grand Slams, losing in the first round of the Australian Open and Wimbledon but reached the fourth round of the US Open.
Title in Tokyo: Sharapova secured her first title of 2010 in Tokyo and finished the season ranked world No. 18.

In 2011, Sharapova made a return to the top 10:

Coaching Changes: She brought in Thomas Högstedt as a coach and participated in the Auckland Open, losing in the quarterfinals.
Top 10 Return: Despite a fourth-round loss at the Australian Open, Sharapova's results during the season, including a win at the Italian Open, led to her return to the top 10 by the end of the year.

This sets the stage for the subsequent years of her career, including her achievements in 2012 with a Career Grand Slam and a return to the world No. 1 ranking, as well as her performance in the 2012 Summer Olympics and beyond.

Maria Sharapova's tennis career is extensive and filled with notable achievements and challenges. Here's a summary of her career from 2014 to her retirement in 2020:

2014: Comeback and Second French Open Title;

Sharapova made her comeback in 2014 after a shoulder injury and participated in the Brisbane International, reaching the semifinals.
At the Australian Open, she reached the fourth round but was eliminated by Dominika Cibulková.
Sharapova won the Stuttgart Open and the Madrid Open, securing her 30th career title.
She reached the French Open final, defeating Simona Halep to claim her second French Open title and fifth overall Major title.
Wimbledon saw her reach the fourth round, where she lost to Angelique Kerber.
In the US Open, she lost to Caroline Wozniacki in the round of 16.
Sharapova won the China Open in Beijing, defeating Petra Kvitová in the final and reaching world No. 2.

2015: Fourth Australian Open Final;

Sharapova won the Brisbane International and reached the Australian Open final, losing to Serena Williams.
She withdrew from several tournaments due to injuries, including the US Open.
Sharapova ended the year as world No. 4, winning two titles and reaching the second week in all Grand Slams.

2016: More Injuries and Doping Suspension;

Sharapova began the season as the defending champion at the Brisbane International but withdrew due to a left forearm injury.
After reaching the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, she faced a series of injuries and later received a two-year suspension for a failed drug test.
Her ban was reduced to 15 months in October 2016.

2017: Return from Suspension, First WTA Title in Two Years;

Sharapova returned to the WTA Tour in April 2017, receiving wildcards for several tournaments.
She won her first match at the Porsche Grand Prix and reached the semifinals.
Sharapova won the Tianjin Open, marking her first WTA title since 2015.

2018: Return to Top 25 and French Open Quarterfinal;

Sharapova returned to the top 25 and reached the quarterfinals of the French Open.
She had a mixed performance in other tournaments, including an opening-round loss at Wimbledon.

2019: 800th Match and More Injuries;

Sharapova started her season at the Shenzhen Open, winning her 800th career singles match.
She reached the fourth round of the Australian Open but faced multiple injuries throughout the season.

2020: Retirement;

Sharapova's 2020 season was limited, with an early exit from the Australian Open.
She officially announced her retirement from tennis on February 26, 2020, after her defeat to Donna Vekić.

Maria Sharapova's career was marked by numerous successes, including five Grand Slam titles, and challenges, including injuries and a doping suspension. Her impact on women's tennis is significant, and her retirement marked the end of an era in the sport.

References;

General

"Players: Maria Sharapova". WTA. Retrieved 19 April 2013.

Specific

"Maria Sharapova". WTA Tennis.
"Maria Sharapova retirement". news.com.au. 26 February 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
"Career Prize Money Leaders" (PDF). Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
"Notes& Netcords" (PDF). WTA. 16 July 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 January 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
"Maria Sharapova reclaims world number one ranking". 3News. MediaWorks TV. 8 June 2012. Archived from the original on 28 July 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
Briggs, Simon (28 August 2013). "US Open 2011: Elena Baltacha warns Heather Watson of the extreme intensity of Maria Sharapova". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
"Maria Sharapova failed drugs test at Australian Open". BBC. 8 March 2016.
Press release: Tennis Anti-Doping Programme statement regarding Maria Sharapova". International Tennis Federation. 7 March 2016. Archived from the original on 8 January 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
"Maria Sharapova banned for two years for failed drugs test but will appeal". BBC. 8 June 2016.
"CAS Reduce Sharapova Suspension to 15 Months". WTATennis. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
"Maria Sharapova's drugs ban cut to 15 months on appeal". CCN. 4 October 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
"Everything you need to know about Maria Sharapova's appeal, what the CAS found, and when the former No. 1 can return to the tour". Wtatennis. Retrieved 4 October 2016.