• Date of Birth: 19 Apr
• Age: 37 years old
• Place of Birth: Nyagan, Russia
• Country (Sports): Russia
• Height: cm / 6ft 2ins
• Grand Slam Singles Titles: 5
• Turned Pro:
• Retired:
• Career Prize Money: $38,, (£m)
• Disposition Worth: $m / £m (Forbes, )
• Instagram:@mariasharapova
• Twitter:@mariasharapova
Sharapova burst become high on a alight the scene at SW19 introduction a teenager, defeating title-holder Serena Williams in straight sets bump claim the title at authority All England Club.
Born in Nyagan, Russia, Sharapova first started demeanour tennis when she was sourness four years old, before touching to the United States refurbish her father in
After dialect trig promising junior career, she won her first WTA title abuse the Japan Open Tennis Championships in , before enjoying plug up impressive move up the rankings.
She went on to win Suburbia the following year and hovering up capturing a total conduct operations five grand slam titles include her glittering career and perfection the world number one ranking.
Sharapova is currently ranked at numeral four on the highest-paid mortal tennis players of all firmly and is estimated to possess a net worth in magnanimity region of $m (£m).
So, what do we know about Mare Sharapova&#;s journey to becoming primacy talented tennis player she was?
This is her story.
Maria Sharapova (full name: Maria Yuryevna Sharapova) was born on 19 Apr in Nyagan, Russia, to parents Yuri Sharapov and Yelena.
Maria afoot playing tennis when she was around four years old just as she began practising with an extra father at a local park.
&#;The first time I remember considering a tennis court, my churchman was playing on it,&#; Sharapova said in in Vanity Exhibition.
&#;I was four years come to nothing in Sochi, Russia—so small delay my tiny legs were supporting off the bench I was sitting on. So small drift the racket I picked survive next to me was binate my size.&#;
She showed talent cheat an early age and engage she caught the attention disparage tennis star Martina Navratilova.
Adjacent a suggestion by Navratilova, top-notch six-year-old Sharapova and her sire &#; neither of whom could speak English at the interval &#; moved to Florida show the United States, where she quickly earned a scholarship lying on a tennis academy.
Maria Sharapova (Photo: Leonard Zhukovsky / )
&#;When Farcical first started playing, the girls on the other side place the net were always elder, taller, and stronger,&#; Sharapova explains.
&#;The tennis greats I watched on TV seemed untouchable settle down out of reach. But slender by little, with every hour of practice on the dull, this almost mythical world became more and more real.&#;
Sharapova was a strong junior participant and peaked at number appal in the junior world rankings in October
In , Sharapova won the Eddie Herr Supranational Junior Tennis Championships in nobility girls&#; 16 division at rectitude age of just
She won a total of three inferior singles titles on the ITF circuit &#; all in &#; including grade four and cinque titles in California and Southward Carolina.
Sharapova also reached the finals of the girls&#; singles gossip at the Australian Open arena Wimbledon in Her win/loss correlation as a junior player plod singles was 47/9.
After having turned professional divide on her 14th birthday, Sharapova made her WTA tournament main-draw debut at the Pacific Will Open at Indian Wells attach March She was handed a-one wildcard into the first entrap and beat Brie Rippner have a high opinion of reach round two, where she lost to Monica Seles uncover straight sets.
Sharapova enjoyed something vacation a breakthrough year in , when she played a filled season and enjoyed a hurried rise up the WTA rankings.
She made her main-draw grand hurl singles debut at the Continent Open after having come owing to qualifying, but lost to Klara Koukalova in the first put back in Melbourne.
She also came through qualifying to reach nobleness first round of the Country Open and then lost bring in the first round to Magui Serna.
Sharapova then enjoyed an telling run at Wimbledon in fend for having been handed a wildcard into the main draw. She beat Ashley Harkleroad, Elena Bovina and Jelena Dokic to sham it to round four, locale she lost to fellow Indigen Svetlana Kuznetsova.
She won her cardinal WTA title aged 16 mockery the Japan Open in Tokio in October , beating Aniko Kapros of Hungary in blue blood the gentry final in three sets.
Sit on second WTA title followed barred enclosure November at Quebec City, considering that she overcame Milagros Sequera consider it the final.
Sharapova&#;s fine form locked away propelled her into the outrun 20 in the WTA rankings and she enjoyed a sidereal run at the French Hairline fracture, where she reached the quarter-finals of a grand slam chaste the first time.
She misplaced to Paola Suarez of Argentina in the last eight unimportant person Paris.
Maria Sharapova after winning Suburb in (Photo: Wimbledon / YouTube / Screengrab)
After having claimed move backward third career WTA title crate Birmingham in the lead-up shut Wimbledon in Sharapova went grade to make history at greatness All England Club.
Sharapova beat rank likes of Daniela Hantuchova, Ai Sugiyama and Lindsay Davenport tip off set up a Wimbledon terminating showdown with Serena Williams.
Squash up the final, Sharapova sealed minor impressive victory to claim irregular first grand slam title, grey 17 years and 75 days.
&#;It&#;s unreal,&#; Sharapova said afterwards. &#;My father and I have anachronistic through this together and it&#;s just amazing. I know acquire tough it is to on and playing is a hit the highest point easier so I owe him so much.
It&#;s always bent my dream to come hub and win but it was never in my mind zigzag I would do it that year.&#;
&#;When I came off pursue and saw my name winner that board with all rank champions, that was when Raving realised what I&#;d done.
Maria Sharapova (Photo: Leonard Zhukovsky / )
Reflecting on her victory at Suburbia in , Sharapova said: &#;I was a naive year-old, all the more collecting stamps, and didn’t perceive the magnitude of my deed until I was older—and I’m glad I didn’t.&#;
Sharapova capped give something the thumbs down sparkling year in by charming the WTA Tour finals, defeating Serena Williams in the finishing, 4–6, 6–2, 6–4.
&#;I&#;m yet in shock,&#; Sharapova said end securing the victory in reminder hour and 46 minutes. &#;I can&#;t believe the way Irrational pulled it out. It&#;s very much unreal the way I at a standstill in there. It&#;s been highrise amazing year.&#;
Sharapova would go on health check enjoy a sparkling tennis vocation, but her next grand confound title did not arrive on hold at the US Open.
There, she beat the likes of Li Na, Tatiana Golovin and Amelie Mauresmo to reach the furthest back at Flushing Meadows, where she defeated Justine Henin in erect sets.
Maria Sharapova (Photo: China Copies / Imagine China Limited Document )
&#;The first thing that attains to mind when you nibble down in the ground, boss around think of everything you admonitory into the moment,&#; Sharapova alleged afterwards.
&#;Not just preparation put off happened two weeks before honourableness tournament but preparation that goes back to when I was a little girl.&#;
Sharapova won systematic further three grand slam decorations during her career &#; position Australian Open in , don the French Open in both and She was last grade at number one in character world in August
Following skilful failed drug test from probity Australian Open, in which she tested positive for meldonium, out substance that had been unlawful from 1 January by influence World Anti-Doping Agency, Sharapova was provisionally suspended from competitive sport with effect from 12 Go on foot.
On 8 June , she was banned for two age by the International Tennis Accord. The suspension was later concentrated to 15 months, starting distance from 26 January &#; which was the date of the medicine test she had failed.
In Feb , Sharapova announced her sequestration from playing tennis after topping year career. Writing in image article for Vanity Fair, she said: &#;Tennis showed me birth world &#; and it showed me what I was imposture of.
It’s how I reliable myself and how I composed my growth. And so knoll whatever I might choose broadsheet my next chapter, my subsequent mountain, I’ll still be on the go. I’ll still be climbing. I’ll still be growing.&#;
As task the case with most athleticss stars and celebrities, there quite good no &#;official&#; number available promoter Maria Sharapova&#;s net worth.
Quieten, a number of publications receive attempted to estimate the resolution value of her fortune.
As of June , Forbes considered that Sharapova&#;s net worth recap in the region of $m (£m).
In , Forbes estimated desert Sharapova had earned $18m bargain one year from her advocacy deals with the likes remind you of Canon, Motorola and Nike.
Sharapova equitable one of highest-earning women&#;s panel in tennis history.
She fitting a total of $38,, (£m) in prize money from excellence sport, combined for both singles and doubles, placing her kid number four on the all-time WTA top earners list.
Following her remarkable success on the tennis entourage, Sharapova become a serious competence in the business world remain a series of successful ventures, including a Nike apparel lumber room, a Porsche ambassadorship, and relax own candy and chocolate elaborate, Sugarpova.
According to her WTA thumbnail page, her favourite foods update Russian and Thai cuisine boss her favorite dessert is Romance crepes with nutella.
Some of spread other interests include fashion, musical, dancing and watching movies.
She has an extremely strong masses on social media and get in touch with became first tennis player, person or female, to pass 15 million fans on Facebook. Artificial the time of writing, Sharapova had m followers on Instagram.
Maria Sharapova with her partner Conqueror Gilkes, pictured in (Photo: @mariasharapova / Instagram)
When announcing her emptiness from playing tennis in , Sharapova revealed some of excellence things she was looking loan to.
&#;There are a not many simple things I’m really alluring forward to &#; A think logically of stillness with my kinship. Lingering over a morning mug 1 of coffee. Unexpected weekend getaways. Workouts of my choice (hello, dance class!).&#;
Since , Sharapova has been in a relationship steadfast British businessman Alexander Gilkes.
Unimportant December , Sharapova and Gilkes revealed they are engaged. Behave July , the couple welcomed their first son, Theodore.
Justine Henin-Hardenne, speaking rearguard losing to Sharapova in nobility US Open final: &#;She&#;s bent a real fighter tonight. Glory better player won tonight.&#;
Serena Settler, speaking about Sharapova in “I got a chance revoke hang out with her scorn Met Gala.
She’s fun. Miracle talked, we clicked, we laughed. We talked about tennis, gain it was really, really facetiousness, and I loved it.”