Maria Sharapova Biography
Name: Maria Yuryevna Sharapova
Date of Birth: April 19, 1987
Birthplace: Nyagan, Russia (Siberian Region)
Residence: Bradenton, Florida, USA
Nationality: Russian
Height: 6'2
Weight: 130 lbs. (59 kg)
Plays: Right-handed
Clothing: Nike
Racquet: Prince
PERSONAL
* Coached by her father Yuri Sharapov and Robert Lansdorp
* Mother's name is Yelena
* Started hitting tennis balls at age four; at six, participated in exhibition in Moscow that featured Martina Navratilova
* Began training at Nick Bollettieri's Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida, USA, at age nine (which required a two-year separation from mother due to visa restrictions and finances)
* Off-court interests include fashion, singing, dancing and movies (favorites are Mona Lisa Smile, Something's Gotta Give and Love Actually).
* In second year of high school and studies via an Internet school.
* Enjoys reading books in the Sherlock Holmes and Pippi Longstocking series.
* Prefers Russian and Thai cuisine.
* Favorite dessert is French crepes with Nutella.
* Favorite drinks are orangina and virgin strawberry daiquiris.
* Signed with IMG Models in November 2003.
LIFE STORY
Maria Yuryevna Sharapova (born April 19, 1987) is a Russian professional tennis player. At the end of 2006, she was the world's highest-paid female athlete. Sharapova's parents moved from Homyel, Belarus, to Siberia, Russia, in 1986, after the Chernobyl nuclear accident. She was born the following year in Nyagan, Russia.
At seven, Sharapova was brought to the United States by her father, Yuri Sharapov, to attend the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Her mother, Yelena, who could not come with them because of visa restrictions, followed a few years later. Sharapova has lived in the United States since then but retains her Russian citizenship.
In 2002, Sharapova bought a beach home in Manhattan Beach, California, a suburb of Los Angeles, but lives most of the year near the IMG training facility in Bradenton.
Maria has been labeled as a power baseliner by tennis critics and fans. She is noted for having an excellent double-handed backhand and serves, particularly for the power and placement of these shots.
She is also noted for having a good forehand. Likewise, critics claim that for her height, Sharapova has decent agility on-court. Being an offensive player, Sharapova is usually able to overpower her opponents or keep them on the run with sharp angles from the baseline.
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.
Maria has won every Grand Slam singles title except the French Open. She believes that winning the French Open will be a big challenge because her aggressive game does not suit a clay surface. She has never won a WTA tour singles title on that surface (yet).
In the year 2004, Maria donated $10,000 to victims of the tsunami disaster in Thailand. In January 2005 she donated proceeds of an auction for the Porsche car she won at the season-ending WTA Tour Championships of more than $50,000 to victims of the school siege in Beslan, Russia.
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.
CAREER TITLES
in Singles
* 2008: Australian Open
* 2008: Qatar Total Open
* 2008: Bausch & Lomb Championships
* 2007: Acura Classic
* 2006: Pacific Life Open
* 2006: Acura Classic
* 2006: US Open
* 2006: Zurich Open
* 2005: Toray Pan Pacific Open
* 2005: Qatar Total Open
* 2005: DFS Classic
* 2004: DFS Classic
* 2004: Wimbledon
* 2004: Hansol Korea Open
* 2004: AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships
* 2004: WTA Tour Championships
* 2003: Japan Open
* 2003: Bell Challenge
in Doubles
* 2004: DFS Classic
* 2003: Japan Open
* 2003: Seat Open
Maria Sharapova's belated return to the Australian Open ended swiftly Monday when the former world number one was knocked out just hours after the first grand slam of 2010 began.
Sharapova, making her first appearance at Melbourne Park since winning the championship two years ago, lost to fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko 7-6 3-6 6-4 on the Rod Laver Arena.
Unable to defend her title last year because of a shoulder injury, Sharapova was a shadow of the player who stormed to the 2008 title without dropping a single set, contributing to her own defeat with 66 unforced errors and 11 double fault
Sharapova began her 2010 season with two exhibition matches, with Venus Williams in Hua Hin, Thailand. She defeated Williams 6–3, 6–4 in the singles, however lost in the mixed doubles, partnering Paradorn Srichaphan, 8–6.[37]
Sharapova continued her preparation for the Australian Open at the January 6–9 Hong Kong Tennis Classic, where she competed as the captain of Team Russia, against Team Americas (Captained by Venus Williams), Team Europe (Captained by Caroline Wozniacki) and Team Asia-Pacific (Captained by Zheng Jie).[37] Sharapova defeated Zheng Jie and Caroline Wozniacki en route to helping Team Russia become the Gold Group champions.
Sharapova was seeded 14th at the 2010 Australian Open, where she was upset in her opening match by her friend and former doubles partner, World No. 58 Maria Kirilenko 7–6(4), 3–6, 6–4[38]. This was the first time since the 2003 French Open that Sharapova lost in the first round of a major.
In February, Sharapova competed in the Cellular South Cup in Memphis, USA where she was the top seed. She reached the final without dropping a set, and there she crushed 2006 champion Sofia Arvidsson 6–2, 6–1 to win her 21st career WTA title and her first title of the year.[39] With this win, Sharapova moved up to World No. 13, her highest ranking since January 2009.
At the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Sharapova was seeded 10th. After receiving a bye in the 1st round, Sharapova came from 6–4, 5–3 down to defeat Vera Dushevina in the 2nd round, 4–6, 7–5, 6–2. However, she lost in the next round to Zheng Jie, 6–3, 2–6, 6–3, in a match where she was hampered with an arm injury. She withdrew from the 2010 Sony Ericsson Open with a bone bruise in her right elbow, but still rose to World No. 12. The injury also forced her to miss the Family Circle Cup.
Returning from injury at the 2010 Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open, Sharapova lost in the first round to eventual semi-finalist Lucie Safarova 6–4, 6–3. She continued her French Open preparation at the 2010 Internationaux de Strasbourg, where she was the top seed. She reached the final after a 4–6, 6–2, 6–2 semifinal win over Anabel Medina Garrigues. In the final, she defeated Kristina Barrois 7–5, 6–1 to win her first title on red clay and 22nd over-all title.
At the 2010 French Open as the 12th seed, Sharapova defeated Ksenia Pervak and Kirsten Flipkens both in straight sets to meet Justine Henin in the third round.
Wealth
In July 2008, as a result of her success both on and off court, she was the world's highest-paid female athlete, earning US$26 million.
In January, 2010, she signed an 8 year Nike contract, worth $70 million.
Career statistics and 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
* ESPY Best Female Tennis Player
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