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Maria Sharapova
Country (sports)Template:Flagcountry2
ResidenceBradenton, Florida, USA
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[1]
Turned pro2001
PlaysRight; Two-handed backhand
Prize moneyUS$8,472,852
Singles
Career record233-55
Career titles15
Highest ranking1 (22 August 2005)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenF (2007)
French OpenQF (2004, 2005)
WimbledonW (2004)
US OpenW (2006)
Doubles
Career record23-16
Career titles3
Highest ranking41
Last updated on: 07:20, 13 November 2006 (UTC).

Maria Yuryevna Sharapova (Russian: Мари́я Ю́рьевна Шара́пова listenⓘ) (born 19 April 1987) is a Russian professional tennis player and model. Currently the second ranked female tennis player in the world, she will on January 29, 2007, again become the top ranked player. [4] As of the end of 2006, she was the world's highest-paid female athlete.[3]

Sharapova has won two Grand Slam singles titles. She is the reigning U.S. Open champion, having defeated Justine Henin Hardenne in the final of the 2006 U.S. Open. Two years earlier, she defeated Serena Williams in the final at Wimbledon.

Personal life

Sharapova's parents moved from Gomel, Belarus, to Siberia, Russia, in 1986, after the Chernobyl nuclear accident. She was born in Nyagan, Russia, the following year.

At the age of 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.

Sharapova recently purchased a beachfront home in Manhattan Beach, California, a suburb of Los Angeles, but lives most of the year near the IMG training facility in Bradenton.

Career

In 2004, a year after reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon as a wild card, Sharapova became the third-youngest Wimbledon women's champion (after Lottie Dod and Martina Hingis) and second-youngest in the open era by defeating Ai Sugiyama (5-7, 7-5, 6-1) in a quarterfinal, Lindsay Davenport (2-6, 7-6, 6-1) in a semifinal, and two-time defending champion Serena Williams (6-1, 6-4) in the final. She also became the first Russian to win that tournament. Defeat then came at the hands of French player and two time Grand Slam champion, Mary Pierce, at the U.S. Open a few months later. Sharapova ended 2004 with a victory at the season-ending WTA Championships, defeating an injured Serena Williams (4-6, 6-2, 6-4) after coming back from an 0-4 final set deficit. After losing to Sharapova in a semifinal of this event, Anastasia Myskina said: "He [Sharapova's father] 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."

From June 2004 until her Wimbledon semifinal appearance in 2005, Sharapova won 22 straight matches on grass, including consecutive Birmingham titles and the Wimbledon title. Sharapova's success continued after winning Wimbledon. On court, she reached the semifinals of the 2005 Australian Open, where she held three match points against Serena Williams before losing 2-6, 7-5, 8-6. Off court, she was paid for numerous commercial endorsements.

Maria Sharapova at Indian Wells in 2005

Defending her Wimbledon title in 2005, Sharapova reached the semifinals without losing a set but then lost to a rejuvenated Venus Williams (7-6, 6-1). Sharapova's streak on grass was ended, as was her quest to dethrone top ranked Davenport.

However, a back injury that Davenport sustained in the Wimbledon final meant that she could not defend 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 No. 1 ranking on August 22, 2005. Her reign, however, lasted only one week as Davenport re-ascended to the top ranking after winning the title in New Haven. Sharapova rose to the No. 1 ranking again on September 12, 2005, despite losing in the semifinals of the U.S. Open. Sharapova kept the No. 1 ranking for six weeks before relinquishing it again to Davenport following the 2005 Zurich Open.

Sharapova's loss in a semifinal of the 2005 U.S. Open against Kim Clijsters marked the fourth time that year she had lost at a Grand Slam tournament to the eventual champion: Australian Open-SF-Serena Williams, French Open-QF-Justine Henin Hardenne, Wimbledon-SF-Venus Williams, U.S. Open-SF-Clijsters.

At the 2006 Australian Open, Sharapova reached the semifinals, where she faced Henin-Hardenne. Sharapova won the first set but lost the match 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. This was the only match of the year that Sharapova lost after winning the first set.

Sharapova, as the third seed, claimed her first title of 2006 at the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California (a Tier 1 event). Sharapova defeated No. 4 seed Elena Dementieva in the final 6-1, 6-2. This was the 11th title of her career. Sharapova and Dementieva were the first Russians to reach the final of that event. Soon after, Sharapova reached the final of the Nasdaq-100 Open, losing to Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 6-3.

Sharapova participated at the 2006 French Open without having played any of the clay court tune-ups. 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 welcomed the onset of the grass season but failed to add a third successive Birmingham title to her collection, losing in the semifinals to American Jamea Jackson.

For the second consecutive year, Sharapova was defeated in the semifinals of Wimbledon, losing to eventual winner Mauresmo 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.

Sharapova claimed her second title of 2006 as the second seed at the Acura Classic in San Diego, defeating top seeded Clijsters, 7-5, 7-5. This was Sharapova's first victory over Clijsters in five meetings.

Sharapova entered the 2006 U.S. Open seeded third after Clijsters dropped out of the tournament with a wrist injury. Considered one of the favorites to reach the final, she lived up to expectations defeating Mauresmo, the top ranked player in the world, in a semifinal 6-0, 4-6, 6-0. Sharapova then prevailed over Henin Hardenne in the final 6-4, 6-4 to win her second Grand Slam title, 13th tournament of her career, and third tournament of the year.

Maria Sharapova at the Zurich Open 2006

Sharapova won the 2006 Zurich Open, defeating Daniela Hantuchova 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 in the final. Sharapova then won the Generali Ladies Linz, defeating fellow Russian and defending champion Nadia Petrova 7-5, 6-2. That was her fifth title of 2006 and the 15th title of her career.

It has been announced that Sharapova will play for the Russian Fed Cup team for the first time in 2007. [5]

Sharapova began 2007 by reaching the final of the Watson Water Champions Challenge, an exhibition tournament and warm-up for the 2007 Australian Open, where she was defeated by Clijsters 6-3, 7-6(8). At the 2007 Australian Open, the top seeded Sharapova defeated the 62nd ranked Camille Pin in the first round 6-3, 4-6, 9-7 on her fourth match point. Pin served for the match at 7-6, but Sharapova broke back and won the next eight points to end the match. The match was played in air temperatures that exceeded 40 °C (104 °F) and on-court temperatures that exceeded 50 °C (122 °F). In a quarterfinal, Sharapova defeated the 12th seeded Anna Chakvetadze 7-6, 7-5. She is scheduled to play Clijsters in a semifinal.

As of December 2nd, 2006:

  • Sharapova has a 3-5 record in Grand Slam semifinals.
  • Sharapova has a combined 3-8 record against the other top players in the world (1-3 against third ranked Mauresmo and 2-5 against top ranked Henin Hardenne). Sharapova is 3-4 against Clijsters and 4-1 against Davenport, both of whom were formerly top ranked.

In July 2006, Sharapova and her agents sued Byzantium Productions, Inc., a Florida-based production company, accusing them of illegally using her name and image to promote their documentaries. A federal judge ruled in Byzantium's favor on August 3, 2006.[4]

Awards

Maria Sharapova after winning the 2006 U.S. Open on 9 September, 2006
2003
  • Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Newcomer of the Year
  • Hottest female athlete of the year (Maxim)

2004

  • WTA Player of the Year
  • WTA Most Improved Player of the Year
  • WTA Player Service
  • Hottest female athlete of the year (Maxim)
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
  • Hottest female athlete of the year (Maxim)
  • Prix de Citron Roland Garros
2006
  • Hottest female athlete of the year (Maxim)
  • Named the country's best female player for the year by Russia's tennis federation

Endorsements and media publicity

  • Following her Wimbledon victory in 2004, Sharapova signed a one-year deal with automobile manufacturer, Honda, but the deal was only in Japan.
  • Land Rover - In April 2006, Sharapova signed a three-year deal to endorse their vehicles. One source with knowledge of the deal said it was worth approximately U.S. $2 million per year. Sharapova gets a free Land Rover Range Rover Sport in Florida and a chauffeured Land Rover Discovery wherever she wants.
  • Motorola - a fee, plus a mobile phone and all her mobile phone bills paid, plus a share of the income of downloads from HelloMoto/Maria. She was criticized at the U.S. Open by some members of the American press for holding a RAZR to her ear at roughly the same time her father was seen talking on a similar phone, as this may have violated the United States Tennis Association's no sideline-coaching rule.[5]
  • Gatorade - energy drink
  • Tropicana - orange juice
  • TAG Heuer - In December 2004, she signed a deal with Swiss sports watch TAG Heuer to become their latest "sport and glamour" ambassador.
  • Nike Inc. - Sharapova has been known to wear somewhat eccentric or revealing outfits from Nike on court, best exemplified by a Breakfast at Tiffany's-inspired dress at the 2006 U.S. Open, which many mocked for its use of sequins and seemingly futuristic neckline. She also has been featured in several Nike marketing campaigns, including one advertisement in 2006 that had her walking and riding through the streets of New York City and Arthur Ashe Stadium while everyone around her sings "I Feel Pretty" until she returns a serve with her trademark loud grunt.
  • Prince Sports, Inc. - Sharapova has committed to a "lifetime" of sponsoring the only tennis racket brand she's used as a pro. The endorsement deal that will last until the end of her playing career and beyond.
  • Canon Inc. - Sharapova promotes both their office and camera products.

Sharapova's endorsements have earned her considerably more than she has won in tournament play. In June 2005, Forbes magazine listed her as the highest-paid female athlete in the world, with annual earnings of U.S. $18 million. (CBS, the American television network, reported in August 2006 that the figure is over U.S. $20 million.) In total, she earns over UK£13.4 million per year, over 90 percent of which comes from endorsements. When asked about her income, she said, "It's never enough. Bring on the money. There's no limit to how much you can make."[6] In a later interview, she said, "You know, one of the greatest things about being an athlete and, you know, making money is realising that you can help, you know, help the world, and especially children, who I absolutely love working with."[7]

Sharapova is visible in and outside of the court for her looks. Sharapova posed in a six-page bikini photoshoot spread in the 2006 issue of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, annual magazine that debuted on Valentine's Day, along with 25 scantily-clad supermodels. Sharapova joined the ranks of other athletes who have previously appeared in the publication. In April 2005, Sharapova was listed by People Magazine as among the 50 most beautiful celebrities in the world. In 2006, Maxim magazine named Sharapova the hottest athlete in the world for the fourth consecutive year.

Racquet

Sharapova during her second-round match at the 2007 Australian Open.

Sharapova's first racquet (before she entered the professional circuit) was one given to her by a family friend.

Sharapova used the Prince Tour Diablo for part of 2003 and then used several different Prince racquets until the 2004 U.S. Open. Sharapova began using the Prince Shark MP 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, and this is currently the racquet that Sharapova uses.

Controversies

Sharapova has been criticised by many for what seems to be sideline-coaching from her father during major tournaments. At the 2006 US Open she was seen to receive many coaching gestures from her father and another coach. Though officials did nothing, the media quizzing that followed led to accusations of cheating, especially in that her father had indulged in the practise for years. At the 2004 WTA Tour Championships for example, Sharapov had received warning from the chair umpire for coaching during his daughter`s win over Anastasia Myskina[6].

At the 2006 Australian Open Sharapov had been accused of yelling out to distract Justine Henin-Hardenne during his daughter`s losing semi-final appearance. Having yelled out "VAMOS" in the middle of a rally, when Henin looked in his direction, he twirled around, looking behind him, pretending it was someone behind him who did it. His swiveling right around instantly with a "who me?" look on his face was oft replayed to general amusement. The following year, Sharapova was one of four women and three men to be warned and fined for receiving sideline-coaching at the event. As previously, Sharapova denied having received any coaching but tennis legend Tony Roche was one of many who said the cheating was obvious and supervisors needed to improve surveillance of the stands [7].

The 'Sharapova Shriek', Sharapova's trademark screaming on court has also been accused of being cheating. As with Seles, Sharapova has been accused of using her screams to distract her opponents. Tennis great John Newcombe was quoted as saying "It's actually what I consider legalised cheating because one of the great senses that you have on a tennis court is your ability to hear the ball come off your opponent's strings."[8] Though some hold the opinion that many of Sharapova's opponents do not consider her screams cheating, and they ought be able to maintain their concentration regardless, it has been noted that during practise the Sharapova shriek is non-existent. As such, it shows that it can be controlled and her screaming during match play is either nerves or, because of the exceptionally high volume, deliberate. At best, her screaming can be construed as poor sportsmanship.

Trivia

  • Never one to stay quiet on court, perhaps one of the most controversial aspects of Sharapova's game is her trademark on-court "grunting" or "screaming." Quite possibly the loudest female screamer since Monica Seles, a London tabloid is reported to have claimed that "her persistent shrieks topped out at 102 decibels" .[8] Sharapova claims that this is just part of her game and that only the British press give her a hard time about it. Elena Dementieva, Sharapova's opponent in a 2006 Wimbledon quarterfinal, complained about the distraction it causes.[9] Later in the US Open, Tatiana Golovin said: "Shrieking is not going to make the tennis ball come to me faster."[10]
  • Sharapova is good friends with fellow Russian tennis player Maria Kirilenko.[11]
  • Sharapova is affectionately called "Masha".[12]
  • Sharapova gave the racquet she used in the Wimbledon final to Regis Philbin when taping Live with Regis and Kelly.
  • Her favourite fashion designer is Marc Jacobs.[citation needed] Sharapova is often seen in his fashion shows.[citation needed]

Quotes

  • 'I believe, at the end of the day, personally, my life is not about a banana.' (when asked at the press conference after the 2006 U.S. open final about her father's illegal signaling and feeding her during the match).[13]
  • '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.'[14]
  • '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.'[15]
  • 'I am both an athlete and a businesswoman.'

Grand Slam singles finals

Wins (2)

Year Championship Opponent in Final Score in Final
2004 Wimbledon Template:Flagicon2 Serena Williams 6-1, 6-4
2006 U.S. Open Template:Flagicon2 Justine Henin-Hardenne 6-4, 6-4

WTA Tour Championships singles finals

Wins (1)

Year Venue Opponent in Final Score in Final
2004 Los Angeles Template:Flagicon2 Serena Williams 4-6, 6-2, 6-4

Tier I singles finals

Wins (4)

Year Championship Opponent in Final Score in Final
2005 Tokyo Template:Flagicon2 Lindsay Davenport 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (5)
2006 Indian Wells Template:Flagicon2 Elena Dementieva 6-1, 6-2
2006 San Diego Template:Flagicon2 Kim Clijsters 7-5, 7-5
2006 Zurich Template:Flagicon2 Daniela Hantuchova 6-1, 4-6, 6-3

Runner-up (3)

Year Championship Opponent in Final Score in Final
2004 Zurich Template:Flagicon2 Alicia Molik 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
2005 Miami Template:Flagicon2 Kim Clijsters 6-3, 7-5
2006 Miami Template:Flagicon2 Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 6-3

WTA Tour titles (18)

Singles (15)

Legend
Grand Slam (2)
WTA Championships (1)
Tier I Event (4)
WTA Tour (8)
WTA Tour Titles by Surface
Hard (11)
Clay (0)
Grass (3)
Carpet (1)
No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent in the final Score
1. September 29, 2003 Tokyo, Japan Hard Template:Flagicon2 Aniko Kapros 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(5)
2. October 27, 2003 Quebec City, Canada Hard Template:Flagicon2 Milagros Sequera 6-2 retired
3. June 7, 2004 Birmingham, United Kingdom Grass Template:Flagicon2 Tatiana Golovin 4-6, 6-2, 6-1
4. June 21, 2004 Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom Grass Template:Flagicon2 Serena Williams 6-1, 6-4
5. September 27, 2004 Seoul, South Korea Hard Template:Flagicon2 Marta Domachowska 6-1, 6-1
6. October 4, 2004 Tokyo, Japan Hard Template:Flagicon2 Mashona Washington 6-0, 6-1
7. November 8, 2004 WTA Championships, Los Angeles, USA Hard Template:Flagicon2 Serena Williams 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
8. February 6, 2005 Tokyo, Japan Carpet Template:Flagicon2 Lindsay Davenport 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(5)
9. February 21, 2005 Doha, Qatar Hard Template:Flagicon2 Alicia Molik 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
10. June 6, 2005 Birmingham, United Kingdom Grass Template:Flagicon2 Jelena Jankovic 6-2, 4-6, 6-1
11. March 18, 2006 Indian Wells, USA Hard Template:Flagicon2 Elena Dementieva 6-1, 6-2
12. August 6, 2006 San Diego, USA Hard Belgium Kim Clijsters 7-5, 7-5
13. September 9, 2006 U.S. Open, New York City, USA Hard Belgium Justine Henin-Hardenne 6-4, 6-4
14. October 22, 2006 Zurich, Switzerland Hard Template:Flagicon2Daniela Hantuchova 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
15. October 29, 2006 Linz, Austria Hard Template:Flagicon2 Nadia Petrova 7-5, 6-2

Singles runner-ups (4)

  • 2004: Zurich (lost to Alicia Molik 4-6, 6-2, 6-3)
  • 2005: Miami (lost to Kim Clijsters 6-3, 7-5)
  • 2006: Dubai (lost to Justine Henin-Hardenne 7-5, 6-2)
  • 2006: Miami (lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 6-3)

Doubles titles (3)

Doubles runner-ups (1)

ITF titles (4)

Singles (4)

ITF Titles by Surface
Hard (2)
Clay (2)
Grass (0)
Carpet (0)
No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent in the final Score
1. April 21, 2002 Gunma, Japan Clay Template:Flagicon2 Aiko Nakamura 6-4 6-1
2. August 4, 2002 Vancouver, Canada Hard Template:Flagicon2 Laura Granville 0-6 6-3 6-1
3. September 15, 2002 Peachtree City, USA Hard Template:Flagicon2 Kelly McCain 6-0 6-1
4. May 11, 2003 Sea Island, USA Green Clay Template:Flagicon2 Christina Wheeler 6-4 6-3

Performance timeline

To prevent confusion and double counting, information in this table is updated only once a tournament or the player's participation in the tournament has concluded. This table is current through the WTA Tour Championships, which ended on November 12, 2006.

Tournament 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Career SR Career Win-Loss
Australian Open A 1R 3R SF SF F 0 / 4 18-4
French Open A 1R QF QF 4R 0 / 4 11-4
Wimbledon A 4R W SF SF 1 / 4 20-3
U.S. Open A 2R 3R SF W 1 / 4 15-3
Grand Slam SR 0 / 0 0 / 4 1 / 4 0 / 4 1 / 4 0 / 0 2 / 16 N/A
Grand Slam Win-Loss 0-0 4-4 15-3 19-4 20-3 0-0 N/A 58-14
Tokyo A A 2R W SF 1 / 3 7-2
Indian Wells 2R 1R 4R SF W 1 / 5 13-4
Miami A 1R 4R F F 0 / 4 12-4
Charleston A 1R A A A 0 / 1 0-1
Berlin A A 3R QF A 0 / 2 4-2
Rome A A 3R SF A 0 / 2 5-2
San Diego A A QF A W 1 / 2 7-1
Montreal/Toronto A 1R 3R A A 0 / 2 1-2
Moscow A A A QF QF 0 / 2 2-1
Zurich A A F A W 1 / 2 7-1
WTA Tour Championships A A W SF SF 1 / 3 6-3
Tournaments played 2 14 20 15 15 0 N/A 66
Finals reached 0 2 6 4 7 0 N/A 19
Tournaments Won 0 2 5 3 5 0 N/A 15
Hardcourt Win-Loss 1-2 20-8 34-11 29-7 42-4 0-0 N/A 126-32
Clay Win-Loss 0-0 5-2 8-3 9-3 3-1 0-0 N/A 25-9
Grass Win-Loss 0-0 9-2 12-0 10-1 8-2 0-0 N/A 39-5
Carpet Win-Loss 0-0 0-0 1-1 5-1 6-2 0-0 N/A 12-4
Overall Win-Loss 1-2 34-12 55-15 53-12 59-9 0-0 N/A 202-501
Year End Ranking 186 32 4 4 2 N/A N/A

A = did not participate in the tournament

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

1If ITF women's circuit (Hardcourt: 22-4; Clay: 9-1) participation is included, then her overall win-loss record stands at 233-55.

WTA Tour career earnings

Year Majors WTA wins Total wins Earnings ($) Money list rank
2003 0 2 2 222,005 51
2004 1 4 5 2,506,263 1
2005 0 3 3 1,921,283 5
2006 1 4 5 3,799,501 2

Notable matches

The following is a description of the Sharapova matches that are listed in the "Career in Review" [16] section of the Women's Tennis Association website.

  • 2003 Birmingham quarterfinal: defeated Elena Dementieva, 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-2. As a qualifier, Sharapova reached the semifinals, defeating top-seeded Dementieva along the way. Although she lost in a semifinal to Shinobu Asagoe, she began to elicit media attention because of her model looks and her grunts. Fellow players and spectators complained of her boisterous style.[17]
  • 2004 Wimbledon semifinal: defeated Lindsay Davenport 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-1. The 13th seed Sharapova faced fifth seeded Davenport in a match of youth versus experience. Sharapova was overwhelmed by the veteran in the first set and was trailing 3-1 in the second set before she turned the match around, after a drizzle interrupted it. Although she was three points from defeat in the tiebreak, Sharapova fought back, consolidated her position to take the second set, and cruised through the third.
  • 2004 Wimbledon final: defeated Serena Williams 6-1, 6-4. Sharapova defeated the two-time defending champion and top seed in one of the most stunning upsets in Wimbledon history.[18] In doing so, she became the second youngest women's Wimbledon champion in the open era and the first non-American victor since Jana Novotna in 1998.
  • 2004 WTA Tour Championships final: defeated Serena Williams, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. Sharapova became the second player to win the year-end tournament in her debut. Trailing 4-0 in the third set, Sharapova won the next six games after Williams began to struggle with an abdominal muscle strain. Sharapova's tournament run was characterized by controversy. Other Russian players accused Sharapova of receiving coaching during matches. And some criticized her fist-pumping attitude and "Come On!" battlecries in the final as Williams played throughout the second half of the match in pain.
  • 2005 Australian Open semifinal: lost to Serena Williams, 2-6, 7-5, 8-6. Continuing a seeming rivalry, Sharapova served for the match during the second and third set, even holding triple match point in the latter. However, Williams came back to take the match and win the tournament.[19]
  • 2005 Indian Wells semifinal: lost to Davenport 6-0, 6-0. Despite holding a 2-0 head-to-head record, Sharapova, then ranked number three in the world, was dealt her worst defeat. This was the first time that a player in the top three had been double bageled.
  • 2005 Wimbledon semifinal: lost to Venus Williams 7-6(2), 6-1. The match featured long rallies, high-intensity groundstrokes just clipping the lines, and dramatic grunts. Williams ended Sharapova's 22-match grass court winning streak.[20][21][22]
  • 2006 French Open fourth round: lost to Dinara Safina 7-5, 2-6, 7-5. Sharapova had a 5-1 lead in the third set but lost 18 of the last 21 points.
  • 2006 Wimbledon semifinal: lost to Amelie Mauresmo 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. Sharapova won five consecutive games in the second set, coming from 1-3 down to win it. But Mauresmo broke Sharapova twice in the third set to win the match.
  • 2006 U.S. Open semifinal: defeated Mauresmo 6-0, 4-6, 6-0. Sharapova defeated the reigning world number one for the first time in her career, bookending her three-set victory with bagel scores (losing a total of just 17 points in those two sets). It marked the first time in the open era that a U.S. Open women's singles semifinal has been won with double-bagel sets.[23][24]
  • 2006 U.S. Open final: defeated Justine Henin Hardenne 6-4, 6-4. Coming into her first major final since Wimbledon, Sharapova seemed to be at a disadvantage as Henin Hardenne had won their last four meetings. However, Sharapova dominated this match, employing an attacking style to claim her second major title.[25] [26]

References

  1. ^ http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/2/players/playerprofiles/Playerbio.asp?PlayerID=310137
  2. ^ MARIA SHARAPOVA (RUS)
  3. ^ Martin, John (September 7, 2006). "The Highest Paid Female Athlete On The Planet; Why Sharapova Is So Hot". ABC News. Retrieved September 7, 2006.
  4. ^ Federal judge ruling in Byzantium's favor
  5. ^ Sharapova Fingered in Bananagate
  6. ^ [1]
  7. ^ [2]
  8. ^ Sharapova's decibel levels.
  9. ^ Sharapova makes 'too much noise'
  10. ^ [3]
  11. ^ "Maria Sharapova unwilling to trade her Russian citizenship for anything - Pravda.Ru". Retrieved 2007-01-18.
  12. ^ Biography
  13. ^ Slippery slope: Day after win, Sharapova peels away banana question - AP
  14. ^ Maria Sharapova quotes
  15. ^ Sharapova proves her worth
  16. ^ WTA review of Sharapova's career
  17. ^ Fellow players and spectators had complained of Maria's boisterous style.
  18. ^ 2004 Wimbledon final: one of the most stunning upsets in Wimbledon history.
  19. ^ 2005 Australian Open semi-final.
  20. ^ 2005 Wimbledon semi-final.
  21. ^ 2005 Wimbledon semi-final: Williams ends Sharapova's 22-match grass court winning streak.
  22. ^ 2005 Wimbledon review.
  23. ^ Sharapova Ousts Mauresmo
  24. ^ Sharapova break through at U.S. Open
  25. ^ 2006 US Open Final Sharapova powers to US Open title.
  26. ^ Sharapova Takes New York

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Maria Sharapova.


Preceded by World No. 1
August 22, 2005 - August 28, 2005
September 12, 2005 - October 23, 2005 		Succeeded by
Lindsay Davenport
Preceded by WTA Most Improved Player
2004 		Succeeded by
Preceded by WTA Player of the Year
2004 		Succeeded by
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