Maria Sharapova
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| Country: | Russia | |
| Residence: | Bradenton, Florida, USA | |
| Height: | 6' (183 cm) | |
| Weight: | 130 lbs. (59 kg) | |
| Plays: | Right | |
| Turned pro: | 2001 | |
| Highest singles ranking: | 2 (03/11/2005) | |
| Singles titles: | 10 | |
| Career Prize Money: | $3,733,464 | |
| Grand Slam Record Titles: 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | SF (2005) | |
| French Open | QF (2004-05) | |
| Wimbledon | W (2004) | |
| U.S. Open | 3rd (2004) | |
Maria Yuryevna Sharapova (Russian: Мари́я Ю́рьевна Шара́пова; born April 19, 1987) is a Russian professional tennis player. Her parents are originally from Gomel, Belarus, but moved to Russia in 1986 in the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. Sharapova was born in Nyagan, Siberia, the following year.
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Career
At the age of three, Sharapova moved with her family to the resort town of Sochi, beginning to play tennis at the age of four, using a racquet given to her by Yevgeny Kafelnikov's father. At age five or six, at a tennis clinic in Moscow, Sharapova was spotted by Martina Navratilova, who urged her parents to get her serious coaching in the United States.
In 2004, Sharapova became the second youngest Wimbledon women's champion in the Open Era (after Martina Hingis) by defeating defending two-time champion Serena Williams in straight sets (6-1, 6-4). In the process she also became the first Russian ever to win that tournament.
A 6 foot blonde, Sharapova is regarded by many as possessing a natural beauty and figure and has done some modeling, having signed a contract in November 2003 with IMG Models. She enjoys fashion and is known to read celebrity magazines. However, she says she does not want to overdo these activities, preferring to focus on her tennis. She is often compared to Anna Kournikova, also a Russian Bollettieri student and model. However, Sharapova, Bollettieri, and Kournikova all reject the comparison.
By winning her second Birmingham title in 2005, Sharapova has a 17-match winning streak on grass (dating back to June 2004).
Education
Sharapova studies via correspondence on the internet with the Keystone High School home schooling program and has a liking for sociology.
Awards
- WTA Newcomer of the Year
- WTA Player of the Year
- WTA Most Improved Player of the Year
- WTA Player Service
Titles (10)
| Legend (Singles) |
| Grand Slam (1) |
| WTA Championships (1) |
| Tier I Event (1) |
| WTA Tour (7) |
Singles (10)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score |
| 1. | Sep 29, 2003 | Tokyo, Japan | Hard | Aniko Kapros (Hungary) | 2-6 6-2 7-6 |
| 2. | Oct 27, 2003 | Quebec City, Canada | Hard | Milagros Sequera (Venezuela) | 6-2 RET |
| 3. | Jun 7, 2004 | Birmingham, Great Britain | Grass | Tatiana Golovin (France) | 4-6 6-2 6-1 |
| 4. | Jun 21, 2004 | Wimbledon, London, Great Britain | Grass | Serena Williams (USA) | 6-1 6-4 |
| 5. | Sep 27, 2004 | Seoul, South Korea | Hard | Marta Domachowska (Poland) | 6-1 6-1 |
| 6. | Oct 4, 2004 | Tokyo, Japan | Hard | Mashona Washington (USA) | 6-0 6-1 |
| 7. | Nov 8, 2004 | WTA Championships, Los Angeles, USA | Hard | Serena Williams (USA) | 4-6 6-2 6-4 |
| 8. | Feb 6, 2005 | Tokyo, Japan | Carpet | Lindsay Davenport (USA) | 6-1 3-6 7-6 |
| 9. | Feb 21, 2005 | Doha, Qatar | Hard | Alicia Molik (Australia) | 4-6 6-1 6-4 |
| 10. | Jun 6, 2005 | Birmingham, Great Britain | Grass | Jelena Jankovic (Serbia & Montenegro) | 6-2 4-6 6-1 |
Singles Finalist (2)
Performance Timeline
| Tournament | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | SF | 3r | 1r | - | 0 |
| Roland Garros | QF | QF | 1r | - | 0 |
| Wimbledon | W | 4r | - | 1 | |
| US Open | 3r | 2r | - | 0 | |
| WTA Tour Championships | W | - | - | 1 | |
| Finals reached | 4 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 12 |
| Tournaments Won | 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| Hardcourt Win-Loss | 18-3 | 55-15 | 34-12 | 1-2 | 73-23 |
| Carpet Win-Loss | 4-0 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 5-1 |
| Grass Win-Loss | 6-0 | 12-0 | 9-2 | 0-0 | 28-2 |
| Clay Win-Loss | 8-2 | 8-3 | 5-2 | 0-0 | 13-5 |
| Overall Win-Loss | 36-5 | 55-15 | 34-12 | 1-2 | 118-31 |
| Year End Ranking | 4 | 32 | 186 | N/A |
External links
- Maria Sharapova fan site (http://www.mariaworld.net/)
- Another Maria Sharapova fan site (http://www.maria-sharapova.org/)bg:Мария Шарапова
de:Maria Jurjewna Scharapowa es:Mara Sharpova fr:Maria Sharapova it:Maria Sharapova he:מריה שראפובה hu:Marija Sarapova nl:Maria Sjarapova ja:マリア・シャラポワ no:Maria Sjarapova pl:Maria Szarapowa pt:Maria Sharapova ru:Шарапова, Мария sv:Maria Sjarapova tr:Maria Şarapova zh:玛丽亚·莎拉波娃