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Maria Sharapova

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Maria Sharapova
Country (sports) Russia
ResidenceLong Key, Florida, United States
Height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Turned proApril 19, 2001
RetiredNo
PlaysRight-handed; two-handed backhand
Prize moneyUS$12,971,281
Singles
Career record305–70 (81.3%)
Career titles19
Highest rankingNo. 1(August 22, 2005)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenW (2008)
French OpenSF (2007)
WimbledonW (2004)
US OpenW (2006)
Other tournaments
Tour FinalsW (2004)
Doubles
Career record23–17
Career titles3
Highest ranking41 (June 14, 2004)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open2R (2003, 2004)
French OpenNone
WimbledonNone
US Open2R (2003)
Last updated on: March 28, 2009.

Maria Yurevna Sharapova (Template:Audio-ru, Mariya Yur’evna Sharapova; born April 19, 1987) is a Russian-born American-Russian professional tennis player. A former World No. 1 and the first female Russian player to be ranked no. 1, as a result of injury-induced absence from the sport, currently ranked World No. 64 by the Women's Tennis Association on April 20, 2009. Sharapova has won three Grand Slam singles titles. In 2004, at the age of 17, she won Wimbledon, defeating Serena Williams in the final.[2] She has since won the 2006 US Open, defeating Justine Henin in the final,[3] and the 2008 Australian Open, defeating Ana Ivanović in the final.[4]

Sharapova has represented Russia in Fed Cup, although her appearances have been controversial.[5] She has been featured in a number of modeling assignments, including a feature in Sports Illustrated. Sharapova was the most searched-for athlete on Yahoo! in both 2005 and 2008.[1][6][7] In July 2008, as a result of her success both on and off court, she was the world's highest-paid female athlete.[8]

As of October 2008, she is coached by her father, Yuri Sharapov, and former player Michael Joyce.

Playing style

Sharapova is a power baseliner, with power, depth, and angles on her forehand and backhand.[9] Instead of using a traditional volley or overhead smash, she often prefers to hit a powerful "swinging" volley when approaching the net or attacking lobs.[10] Sharapova is thought to have good speed around the court, especially considering her height.[9] At the beginning of 2008, some observers noted that Sharapova had developed her game, showing improved movement and footwork and the addition of a drop shot and sliced backhand to her repertoire of shots.[11] [12]

Sharapova playing at the Zurich Open in 2006

Sharapova's preferred surfaces are the fast-playing hard and grass courts because her game is not as well-suited to the slower-playing clay courts.[13] She lacks confidence in her ability to move and slide on this surface[13] and once described herself as like a "cow on ice" after a match on clay.[13] Her limitations on this surface are reflected in her career results, as she did not win a Women's Tennis Association tour title on clay until April 2008 (despite having won 18 titles on other surfaces) and because the French Open is the only Grand Slam singles title she has not yet won.

Sharapova's first and second serves are powerful.[9] She is able to serve at speeds that very few women are capable of reaching. At the Rome Masters (Internazionali BNL d'Italia) she hit at 206kph (128mph) fault serve against Dominika Cibulková,[citation needed] and, at the World TeamTennis in 2007, she struck a clean 126mph serve,[citation needed] just 4mph short of the WTA record serve.[citation needed] She is often able to produce an ace or a service winner or provoke a weak reply from her opponent, which allows her to take control of the rally immediately. A serious shoulder injury in early 2007, however, reduced the effectiveness of her serve for several months, as she routinely produced eight to ten double faults in many of her matches during this period.[14] She later changed her service motion to a more compacted backswing (as opposed to her traditional elongated backswing) in an attempt to put less stress on her shoulder,[15] but she nevertheless periodically experienced problems with her serve throughout the rest of the year, most notably producing 12 double faults in her third-round loss at the US Open.[16] Her serve appeared to be more effective at the 2008 Australian Open, as she produced just 17 double faults in seven matches while winning the tournament.[17] Her serving problems resurfaced, however, during the spring of 2008, as she produced 43 double faults in just four matches at the French Open[18] and eight double faults during her second round loss at Wimbledon.[19] Television commentator and two-time US Open singles champion Tracy Austin believes that when Sharapova experiences problems with her serve, she often loses confidence in the rest of her game, and as a result, produces more unforced errors and generally plays more tentatively.[20]

Sharapova is known for on-court "grunting",[21] which reached a recorded 101 decibels during a match at Wimbledon in 2005.[21] Monica Seles suggested that grunting is involuntary and a part of tennis.[22]

Career

Early life

Sharapova was born in 1987 to Yuri and Elena, ethnic Russians, in the town of Nyagan in Siberia, Russia. Previously her parents had lived in Gomel, Belarus, but were compelled to move after the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986.[23] When Sharapova was two, the family moved to Sochi. There, Sharapova's father befriended Aleksandre Kafelnikov, whose son Yevgeny would go on to become a Grand Slam champion. Aleksandre gave Sharapova her first tennis racket at the age of four[24] and subsequently, she and her father began to practice regularly in the local park.[24]

Age six, Sharapova attended a tennis clinic in Moscow run by Martina Navratilova, who noted Sharapova was talented but required professional training, recommending the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida.[24] Sharapova and her father, neither of whom could speak English, moved to Florida in 1994. Because of visa restrictions, Sharapova's mother could not originally move with them, though she eventually joined them two years later.[23] Sharapova's father was forced to take various low-paid jobs to fund her lessons, including washing dishes, and, until the age of 12, she rode to the academy each day on the handlebars of Yuri's bicycle as they could not afford any other method of transport.[24] Sharapova developed rapidly at the academy and began playing junior tournaments.[citation needed]

2001–02

Sharapova turned professional in 2001, although she played just one tournament, on the ITF Circuit, that year.

The following year, Sharapova became, at the age of 14, the youngest girl to reach the final of the junior Australian Open[25] and repeated this feat at Wimbledon later in the year.[citation needed] She also won three titles on the ITF Circuit and played her first matches on the main WTA Tour, including winning a match at the Tier I Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California before losing to Monica Seles in the second round.

2003

Sharapova started playing tour events full-time in 2003. She finished the year ranked World No. 32 and was named the WTA Newcomer of the Year. She won three qualifying matches at both the Australian Open and the French Open to reach the main draw, although she subsequently lost in the first round in both events.[26]

At the tournament in Birmingham, United Kingdom on grass, she reached the semifinals of a main tour event for the first time,[27] defeating top seed and World No. 15 Elena Dementieva en route for her first win over a Top 20 player.[28] She was consequently awarded a wildcard into the main draw at Wimbledon, defeating the 11th seed and the 21st seed en route to the fourth round, where she lost to compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova.[26] After losing in the second round of the US Open to Emilie Loit,[26] Sharapova won her first title at the Tier III tournament in Tokyo in October[26] and then won another Tier III tournament four weeks later in Quebec City.[26]

2004

Sharapova finished 2004 ranked World No. 4 and was the second-ranked Russian (behind Anastasia Myskina). She won her first Grand Slam title, at Wimbledon. Her five titles during the year trailed only Lindsay Davenport's seven and equaled Justine Henin's total. Sharapova also topped the prize winnings list for the year.

Sharapova reached the third round of the Australian Open, where she lost to seventh-seeded Anastasia Myskina 6–4, 1–6, 6–2.[29] The week after the Australian Open, Sharapova lost in the second round of the Tier I Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.[29] She then played in three hard court tournaments, losing in the semifinals of the tournament in Memphis, Tennessee,[29] the fourth round of the Tier I Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California,[29] and the fourth round of the Tier I Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida.[29]

During the spring clay court season leading up to the French Open, Sharapova lost in the third round at both the Qatar Telecom German Open in Berlin[29] and the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome,[29] which were both Tier I events. At the French Open itself, Sharapova reached the quarterfinals[29] of a Grand Slam singles tournament for the first time in her career, losing to Paola Suárez 6–1, 6–3.

On grass leading up to Wimbledon, Sharapova won the tournament in Birmingham, United Kingdom, defeating Tatiana Golovin in the final.[29] This was Sharapova's third career title. The 17-year-old Sharapova went into Wimbledon as the 13th seed.[29] In her second consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal, she defeated Ai Sugiyama 5–7, 7–5, 6–1 and then upset fifth-seeded and former World No. 1 Lindsay Davenport in the semifinals 2–6, 7–6(5), 6–1.[29] Her opponent in the final was two-time defending champion Serena Williams, with Williams an overwhelming favorite based on her higher seeding and greater experience. Sharapova, however, defeated Williams in straight sets,[29] becoming the third-youngest Wimbledon women's champion (after Lottie Dod and Martina Hingis).[30] She was the first Russian to win the tournament[31] and was, at the time, the lowest seed to win the women's event.[32]

During the North American summer hard court season leading up to the US Open, Sharapova played three tournaments. She lost in the quarterfinals of the Tier I Acura Classic in San Diego,[29] the third round of the Tier I Rogers Cup in Montreal,[29] and the second round of the Tier II tournament in New Haven, Connecticut.[29] At the US Open itself, Sharapova lost to French player and two-time Grand Slam singles champion Mary Pierce in the third round 4–6, 6–2, 6–3.[29]

Sharapova then played three tournaments in Asia and one in Europe. She lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the semifinals of the tournament in Beijing.[29] During the next two weeks, Sharapova won the Tier IV tournament in Seoul, South Korea[29] and successfully defended her Japan Open Tennis Championships title in Tokyo.[29] Sharapova reached her first Tier I final at the Zurich Open, losing to Alicia Molik.[29]

At the Tier II tournament in Philadelphia, Sharapova reached the semifinals before defaulting her match to Amélie Mauresmo.[29] Sharapova then ended the year by winning the WTA Tour Championships. She defeated an injured Serena Williams in the final 4–6, 6–2, 6–4 after being down 4–0 in the final set.[29]

2005

Sharapova at Indian Wells in 2005

Sharapova finished 2005 ranked World No. 4 again but was the top-ranked Russian for the first time. She won three titles during the year and was the only player in 2005 to reach three Grand Slam semifinals.

Sharapova started the year by reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open, where she held three match points before losing to eventual champion Serena Williams 2–6, 7–5, 8–6.[33] In February at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Sharapova won her first Tier I event, defeating top ranked Lindsay Davenport in the final.[33] Three weeks later, she won the tournament in Doha, Qatar, defeating Alicia Molik in the final.[33] She then reached the semifinals of the Tier I Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California where she lost to World No. 1 Davenport 6–0, 6–0.[33][34] To complete the spring hard court season, Sharapova reached the final of the Tier I NASDAQ-100 Open in Key Biscayne, Florida, where she lost to Kim Clijsters.[33]

Sharapova participated in two of the clay court tune-ups for the French Open. She lost in the quarterfinals of the Tier I Qatar Telecom German Open in Berlin to Justine Henin[33] and the semifinals of the Tier I Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome to Patty Schnyder.[33] At the French Open, Sharapova lost in the quarterfinals for the second consecutive year, falling to Henin, the eventual champion.[33]

On grass, Sharapova successfully defended her title at the tournament in Birmingham, United Kingdom, defeating Jelena Janković in the final to extend her winning streak on grass to 19 matches. But her winning streak ended at Wimbledon.[33] Although she reached the semifinals there without losing a set, she lost in that round to Venus Williams, the eventual champion, 7–6(2), 6–1.[33]

World No. 1 Davenport injured her back during the Wimbledon final, which prevented her from defending the ranking points she obtained during the 2004 U.S. hard-court season.[citation needed] Although Sharapova also played very few tournaments in this time because of injury, she had fewer points to defend than Davenport and therefore rose to the World No. 1 ranking on August 22, 2005. She was the first Russian woman to hold the position.[28] Her reign lasted only one week, however, as Davenport reclaimed the top ranking after winning the tournament in New Haven, Connecticut.[28]

At the US Open, Sharapova was the top-seeded player, but lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Clijsters. Nevertheless, the points she accumulated at the US Open meant that she once again leapfrogged Davenport to take the World No. 1 ranking on September 12, 2005, retaining it for six weeks before relinquishing it again to Davenport following the Zurich Open.[28] To conclude the year, Sharapova failed to defend her title at the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships, losing in the semifinals to eventual champion Amélie Mauresmo.[33]

2006

Sharapova after winning the 2006 US Open

Sharapova finished 2006 ranked World No. 2 and, for the second year, as the top Russian player. She won the US Open and three Tier I titles, more than any other player. Her total of five titles was second only to Justine Henin's six.

At the Australian Open, Sharapova lost in the semifinals to Henin 4–6, 6–1, 6–4, the only match of the year that Sharapova lost after winning the first set.[35] When questioned by the media about her on-court grunting at the Australian Open, Sharapova said, "I know this is your job. But take your notepads, take your pencils down, take your grunt-o-meters down, the fashion police, put it all away and just watch the match."[36] Three weeks later, Sharapova lost to Henin again in the final of the tournament in Dubai.[35]

Sharapova claimed her first title of 2006 and eleventh of her career at the Tier I Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California, defeating Elena Dementieva in the final.[35] Sharapova then lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final of the Tier I NASDAQ-100 Open in Key Biscayne, Florida.[35]

Sharapova participated at the French Open without having played any of the clay court tune-ups because of injury.[35] 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,[35] after Sharapova led 5–1 in the third set before losing 18 of the match's last 21 points.

Sharapova then started the grass court]season in Birmingham, UK but was unsuccessful in her attempt to win this tournament for the third consecutive year, losing in the semifinals to American Jamea Jackson.[35] At Wimbledon, Sharapova was defeated in the semifinals for the second consecutive year, losing to eventual champion and World No. 1 Amélie Mauresmo 6–3, 3–6, 6–2.[35]

Sharapova claimed her second title of the year at the Tier I Acura Classic in San Diego, defeating top-seeded Kim Clijsters,[35] which was her first victory over the Belgian. She then played the tournament in Los Angeles, losing to Dementieva in the semifinals.[35] This was Sharapova's only summer hardcourt loss of the year.[35] As the third seed at the US Open, Sharapova reached the semifinals without losing a set.[35] She then defeated World No. 1 Mauresmo in the semifinals 6–0, 4–6, 6–0[35] and World No. 2 Henin in the final[35] to win her second Grand Slam singles title. Sharapova lost only one set during this tournament.[35] When asked at the press conference after the final about her father's illegal signaling and feeding her during the match, Sharapova said, "I believe, at the end of the day, personally, my life is not about a banana."[37]

That autumn, Sharapova won two tournaments in consecutive weeks. At the Tier I Zurich Open, Sharapova defeated Daniela Hantuchova in the final.[35] At the tournament in Linz, Austria, Sharapova beat fellow Russian and defending champion Nadia Petrova[35] to take her fifth title of 2006 and the 15th title of her career.

To end the year, Sharapova won all three of her round-robin matches at the Sony Ericsson Championships,[35] extending her winning streak to 19 matches. She lost, however, to eventual champion Henin in the semifinals.[35] Sharapova would have finished the year as World No. 1 had she won the tournament.[38]

2007

Sharapova at the 2007 Australian Open

Sharapova ended 2007 ranked World No. 5, the fourth consecutive year that she finished in the top five. However, for the first time since 2004, she did not finish the year as the top-ranked Russian (the honor instead being held by Svetlana Kuznetsova). Sharapova also won just one title, the first time she had failed to win at least two titles since 2002 (when she played just three WTA matches).[28]

Sharapova was the top seed at the Australian Open because of World No. 1 Justine Henin's withdrawal. Sharapova defeated the 62nd-ranked Camille Pin in the first round 6–3, 4–6, 9–7[39] on her fourth match point in air temperatures that exceeded 40 °C (104 °F) and on-court temperatures that exceeded 50 °C (122 °F).[40] In the semifinals, Sharapova defeated fourth-seeded Kim Clijsters[39] to reach her first Australian Open final and gain the opportunity to win the only Grand Slam singles title that a Russian woman had not yet won. However, Serena Williams, ranked World No. 81, overpowered Sharapova in the final.[39] Reaching the final meant Sharapova recaptured the World No. 1 ranking.[28]

Partly because of hamstring and shoulder injuries that reduced the effectiveness of her serve, Sharapova did not win any of her next three tournaments. At the Tier I Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Sharapova retired from her semifinal match with Ana Ivanović.[39] At the Tier I Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California, Sharapova lost in the fourth round[39] and consequently lost the World No. 1 ranking. In the fourth round of the Tier I Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida, Sharapova lost to Serena Williams for the second consecutive time 6–1, 6–1.[39]

A shoulder injury forced Sharapova to miss most of the clay court season for the second consecutive year. Her only tune-up for the French Open was the tournament in Istanbul, where she lost to Frenchwoman Aravane Rezaï in the semifinals.[39] She then reached the semifinals of the French Open for the first time in her career (saving a match point against Patty Schnyder in the fourth round) but fell to Ivanović 6–2, 6–1.[39]

On grass, Sharapova lost in the final of the tournament in Birmingham, United Kingdom to second seeded Jelena Janković.[39] At Wimbledon, Sharapova lost to eventual champion Venus Williams in the fourth round 6–1, 6–3.[39]

Sharapova's first summer hardcourt tournament was the Tier I Acura Classic in San Diego, California, where she won her first title of the year, fifth Tier I career title, and 16th singles title of her career by defeating Schnyder in the final.[39] At the tournament in Los Angeles the next week, a shin injury forced her to withdraw from her semifinal match with fellow Russian Nadia Petrova shortly before the match started. Nevertheless, she clinched the US Open Series for the first time.[28]

Seeded second at the US Open, Sharapova won her first two matches with the loss of only two games[39] but then lost her third round match to 18-year-old Pole Agnieszka Radwańska 6–4, 1–6, 6–2, after having committed 12 double faults and 49 unforced errors.[16] It was Sharapova's earliest exit at a Grand Slam singles tournament since she lost in the same round at the 2004 US Open.[28] Writing in her blog following her third-round loss at the US Open, Sharapova said, "I know it's as tough for my fans to handle my losses as it is for me. But let me point something out. I didn't leave my mom at the age of seven for nothing. I didn't spend six hours a day practicing in the Florida sun at the age of nine for nothing.... I didn't sleep in little cots for three years, eating oatmeal out of a packet while playing in the middle of nowhere for nothing. All this has helped me build character and there's no better asset than being able to stand up for yourself."[24]

Sharapova did not play again until the Tier I Kremlin Cup in Moscow in October, where she lost to Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in the second round (after a first-round bye).[39] The recurring shoulder problem then forced Sharapova to withdraw from the Zurich Open and the Generali Ladies Linz tournament in Linz, Austria,[39] at both of which she was the defending champion. The early loss and the withdrawals caused Sharapova to fall out of the top five in the rankings for the first time in three years.[28]

Sharapova qualified for the year-ending Sony Ericsson Championships only because Venus Williams withdrew from the tournament.[28] In her Red Group round-robin matches, Sharapova beat World No. 9 Daniela Hantuchová, World No. 2 Kuznetsova, and World No. 4 Ivanović.[39] Sharapova then defeated the runner-up of the Yellow Group, World No. 7 Anna Chakvetadze, in the semifinals 6–2, 6–2.[39] In the final, Sharapova lost to World No. 1 Henin in 3 hours and 24 minutes. This was the 12th longest women's tour match during the open era.[41]

2008

Sharapova playing at the Pacific Life Open in 2008

Sharapova completed an abbreviated 2008 season winning three titles, maintaining an undefeated record in tournament finals and a win-loss record of 32–4.

Before Maria breezed through the Australian Open and won the title, her only warmup event was the Hong Kong event where she has reached the final many times but again came up short against six times grand slam champ Venus Williams in the final losing in straight sets 6-4, 6-3.

Sharapova was the fifth-seeded player at the Australian Open.[42] She defeated former World No. 1 Lindsay Davenport in the second round[43] and World No. 1 Justine Henin in the quarterfinals 6–4, 6–0,[44] ending the latter's 32-match winning streak.[45] Sharapova then reached her second consecutive Australian Open final when she defeated an injured[46] Jelena Janković in the semifinals.[43] Dropping only 10 service points during the final; including only losing two points on her serve in the second set,[47] Sharapova defeated Ana Ivanović and won this tournament without losing a single set.[43] She is the first and currently the only female Russian to ever win the Australian Open.

After the Australian Open, Sharapova extended her winning streak to 18 matches before finally losing.[43] She participated for the first time[48] in Fed Cup against Israel[43] and won the Tier I Qatar Total Open in Doha.[43] In the semifinals of the Tier I Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California, Sharapova lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova, which was her first loss of the year.[43] Sharapova then withdrew from the Tier I Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida, citing a shoulder injury.[49]

She was the top-seeded player at the Tier II clay court tournament in Amelia Island, Florida.[43] Her 3 hour, 26 minute[50] third round victory was her longest ever match.[51] The next day,[52] she needed an additional 2 hours, 36 minutes to win her quarterfinal match.[53] Sharapova then received a walkover to the final after Davenport withdrew from the tournament.[54] In her first career clay court final,[55] Sharapova defeated Dominika Cibulková.[43]

The following week at the Tier I Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina, Sharapova lost to Serena Williams in the quarterfinals 7–5, 4–6, 6–1.[43] Sharapova had a set point at 5-4 in the first set[56] and claimed the second set but then won only nine points in the final set.[56] This was Sharapova's fourth consecutive loss to Williams.[57] Sharapova was the second-seeded player at the Tier I Internazionali BNL d'Italia,[43] formerly known as the Italian Open, in Rome. She defeated Patty Schnyder in the quarterfinals but then did not play her semifinal against Janković[43] because of a calf injury.[58] Sharapova nevertheless regained the World No. 1 ranking because of Henin's sudden retirement from professional tennis and request to the Women's Tennis Association that her own ranking be removed immediately.[59]

Sharapova was the top-seeded player at the French Open[43] and defeated compatriot Evgeniya Rodina in the first round 6–1, 3–6, 8–6[43] after being two points[60] from becoming the first female top seeded player in the open era to lose in the first round of this tournament.[61] Sharapova ultimately lost to 13th-seeded and eventual runner-up Dinara Safina[43] in a 2 hour, 52 minute[62] fourth round match 6–7(6), 7–6(5), 6–2. Sharapova saved two set points in the first set tiebreaker before winning the last four points to take the set[63] and then had a match point at 5–3 in the second set and led 5–2 in the second set tiebreaker before losing the last five points of the set.[64] Safina won the last four games and ten of the last twelve points of the match.[65] Sharapova lost the match despite hitting 65 winners and only 39 unforced errors.[66] She relinquished the World No. 1 ranking as a result of this loss.[67]

Sharapova withdrew from the grass court tournament in Birmingham, United Kingdom because of a shoulder injury sustained during the French Open.[68] At Wimbledon, Sharapova was seeded third but lost in the second round to compatriot and World No. 159 Alla Kudryavtseva 6–2, 6–4.[43] This was her earliest loss ever at Wimbledon.[69]

At the Tier I Rogers Cup in Montreal, Sharapova had the chance to regain the World No. 1 ranking. In a second round match that lasted 2 hours, 55 minutes, she defeated Marta Domachowska of Poland 7–5, 5–7, 6–2.[70] Sharapova committed 17 double faults during the match and twice needed treatment for her right shoulder. She then withdrew from the tournament to prevent the injury from becoming worse.[71] Shortly afterwards, a magnetic resonance imaging scan revealed that Sharapova had been suffering from a torn rotator cuff since April. This injury prevented Sharapova from playing again in 2008, missing both the Beijing Olympics and the US Open. On September 26, she announced on her website that she will be taking the rest of the year off, thus missing the year-ending Sony Ericsson Championships.[72] Sharapova finished 2008 ranked World No. 9.[73]

2009

Sharapova withdrew from her first scheduled official tournament of the year, the Australian Open, where she was the defending champion. Her explanation was that she was not yet in match condition.[74][75]

In February, Sharapova withdrew from the Open GDF Suez tournament in Paris and the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships.[1][75]

In April, Sharapova's ranking dropped to World No. 64, her lowest since the 2003 Wimbledon Championships, almost six years ago.[citation needed]

Sharapova returned to the tour playing only doubles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, the first Premier Mandatory event of the year. She and partner Elena Vesnina lost in the first round of women's doubles. She then withdrew from the singles competition at the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida, the second Premier Mandatory event of the year, saying that she felt her shoulder needed more rest.[76].

In May, she announced her withdrawal from the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome, a Premier 5 event and the Premier Mandatory Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open. She is planning on returning at Roland Garros.[77]

Fed Cup participation

Sharapova playing for the Russian Fed Cup team against Israel in 2008.

Sharapova's representation of Russia in the Fed Cup has been controversial. At the end of 2004, compatriot Anastasia Myskina stated she would stop playing for Russia if Sharapova joined.[78] Nevertheless, at the end of 2005, Sharapova stated she was now keen to make her Fed Cup debut[79] and was set to play against Belgium in April 2006, but withdrew.[80]

Sharapova later withdrew from ties against Spain in April 2007[81] and against the United States in July 2007[82] because of injuries. The latter withdrawal led to Russia's captain saying she would be "ineligible for selection" for the Fed Cup final in September.[83] However, Sharapova attended the final, cheering from the sidelines and acting as a "hitting partner" in practices, resulting in some of her Russian teammates implying that she was attending only to enable her to play at the 2008 Beijing Olympics (rules state that players must have "shown commitment" to Fed Cup in order to play). Svetlana Kuznetsova said, "She said she wanted to be our practice partner but if you can't play how then can you practice?"[84]

Sharapova finally made her Fed Cup debut in February 2008, in Russia's quarterfinal tie against Israel. Sharapova won both her singles rubbers, against Tzipora Obziler and Shahar Pe'er, helping Russia to a 4–1 victory. Sharapova, however, did not play in Russia's Fed Cup semifinal or final later that year.[citation needed]

Off-court

Sharapova has lived in the United States since moving there at the age of seven but retains her Russian citizenship to this day.[85] She has a home in Manhattan Beach, California[86] and in early 2008, purchased a penthouse apartment in Netanya, Israel.[87] Sharapova lists fashion, movies, music and reading the Sherlock Holmes and Pippi Longstocking series as among her off-court interests,[28] while she has also talked in the past about how she takes hip-hop dance classes.[88]

At the 2004 US Open, Sharapova, along with several other Russian women tennis players, wore a black ribbon in observance of the tragedy after the Beslan school hostage crisis, which took place only days before.[89] In 2005, she donated around US$50,000 to those affected by the crisis.[28] 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 stated at the time that she was planning to travel back to the area after Wimbledon in 2008,[90] though it is unknown whether this happened.

In July 2008, Sharapova sent a message on DVD to the memorial service of Emily Bailes, who had performed the coin toss ahead of the 2004 Wimbledon final that Sharapova had gone on to win.[91]

Sharapova has often implied that she desires an early retirement. Following the retirement of 25-year-old Justine Henin, Sharapova said, "If I was 25 and I'd won so many Grand Slams, I'd quit too."[92] In an interview after the 2008 Australian Open, she balked at the idea of playing for another ten years, saying that she hoped to have "nice husband and a few kids" by then.[93]

Endorsements

Arguably, the combination of her tennis success and physical beauty have enabled her to secure commercial endorsements that greatly exceed in value her tournament winnings.[94][95] In April 2005, People named her one of the 50 most beautiful celebrities in the world. In 2006, Maxim ranked Sharapova the hottest athlete in the world for the fourth consecutive year. She posed in a six-page bikini photoshoot spread in the 2006 Valentine's Day issue of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, alongside 25 scantily-clad supermodels. In the same year, preceding the official debut of the Land Rover Freelander LR2 Maria appeared at a private presentation at the Kensington Roof Gardens held for journalists.

In a poll run by Britain's FHM magazine, she was voted the seventh most eligible bachelorette,[96] based on both "wealth and looks."

Sharapova used the Prince Tour Diablo for part of 2003 and then used several different Prince racquets until the US Open. She gave the racquet she used in the 2004 Wimbledon final to Regis Philbin when taping Live with Regis and Kelly. Sharapova began using the Prince Shark OS at that tournament and had a major part in the production of the Shark racquet.[citation needed] She then switched to the Prince O3 White racquet in January 2006. Because of Sharapova's various shoulder injuries, she switched to the Prince O3 Speedport Black Longbody in July 2008.[citation needed]

In June 2007, Forbes magazine listed her as the highest-paid female athlete in the world, with annual earnings of over US$23 million.[97] (CBS, the American television network, reported in August 2006 that the figure is over US$26 million.[citation needed]) The majority is made from endorsements and sponsorships. In a later interview, she said, "You know, one of the greatest things about being an athlete and, you know, making money is realizing that you can help, you know, help the world, and especially children, who I absolutely love working with."[98]

In 2005 during a photo shoot for Canon, a lewd photo was taken of Sharapova without her knowledge by Japanese advertising agency Dentsu. The company currently has a lawsuit related to this incident.[99]

Sharapova has also been depicted in many tennis-related video games, along with such players as Daniela Hantuchová, Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams, and Anna Kournikova. Some of the titles are Top Spin (Play Station 2 version), Top Spin 2, Smash Court Tennis 3, and Virtua Tennis 3. She has also just appeared in the roster of the newest edition of the tennis-related video games, Top Spin 3, which was released on June 20, 2008.

Upon hearing that Sports Illustrated had named her in 2006 as the world's best-paid female athlete, Sharapova said, apparently only a little tongue-in-cheek, "It's never enough. Bring on the money. There's no limit to how much you can make."[100]

Career statistics and awards

Main article: Maria Sharapova career statistics
See also: WTA 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


Notes and references

  1. ^ a b c d "Maria Sharapova official website". Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  2. ^ Caroline Cheese (July 3, 2004). "Sharapova storms to Wimbledon glory". BBC Sport. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  3. ^ "Sharapova powers to US Open title". BBC Sport. September 10, 2006. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  4. ^ Piers Newbury (January 26, 2008). "Sharapova wins Aussie Open title". BBC Sport. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  5. ^ Fueding Russians leve Sharapova out
  6. ^ "Yahoo! 2005 Top Searches". 2005. Retrieved December 29, 2008.
  7. ^ Joe Lago, Yahoo! Sports (December 24, 2008). "- Yahoo! 2008 Year in Review - Yahoo! Buzz". Retrieved December 29, 2008.
  8. ^ Tom Van Riper and Kurt Badenhausen (July 22, 2008). "In Pictures: Top-Earning Female Athletes". Forbes. Retrieved July 23, 2008. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ a b c Jeff Cooper. Maria Sharapova - Tennis Game Profile, About.com. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  10. ^ Douglas Robson. Swinging, midcourt volley becomes key weapon among pros, USA Today, June 25, 2007. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  11. ^ Steve Bierley. Sharapova adds variety to end Henin run, The Guardian, January 23, 2008. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  12. ^ Maria Sharapova Scouting report
  13. ^ a b c Barry Flatman. Sharapova: a cow on ice?, The Times, May 31, 2007. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  14. ^ Tennis.com: Bottom line for the top women, 2007, Tennis.com. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  15. ^ Matthew Cronin. Serves up: Sharapova changes motion, TennisReporters.net, August, 2007. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  16. ^ a b Sharapova loses to teen Radwanska, BBC News, September 1, 2007. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  17. ^ 2008 Australian Open: Maria Sharapova statistics, AustralianOpen.com. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  18. ^ Roland Garros 2008: Maria Sharapova statistics, RolandGarros.com. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  19. ^ Wimbledon 2008: Maria Sharapova statistics, Wimbledon.org. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  20. ^ Austin, Tracy. Austin: Sharapova loss a win for Venus and Serena, NBC Sports, June 27, 2008. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  21. ^ a b Lane, Megan. Why do women tennis stars grunt?, BBC News, June 22, 2005. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  22. ^ Catriona Davies (September 24, 2008). "Grunting is just part of my game, claims Sharapova". The Telegraph. Retrieved October 19, 2008. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  23. ^ a b Associated Press (August 13, 2007). "Maria Sharapova plans 1st trip back to Chernobyl since family fled". International Herald Tribune.
  24. ^ a b c d e Kimmage, Paul. The Big Interview: Maria Sharapova (The Times, UK), The Times, January 13, 2008. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  25. ^ Dylan Vox. "The World's Sexiest Athletes: Maria Sharapova". GaySports.com. Retrieved October 24, 2008.
  26. ^ a b c d e "Maria Sharapova Playing Activity". WTA Tour. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  27. ^ "Sharapova wins Tokyo". BBC Sport. October 5, 2003. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  28. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "WTA: Career Highlights". WTA Tour. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  29. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Maria Sharapova Playing Activity (2004 results can be accessed by selecting the year from the menu), WTA Tour official website. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  30. ^ Richard Williams (June 30, 2004). "Sharapova sharpens her steel". The Guardian. Retrieved October 6, 2008. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  31. ^ Sharapova stuns Serena to win title
  32. ^ Jacqueline Edmondson (July 30, 2005). "1: Knowing the Possibilities of Life". Venus and Serena Williams. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 2. ISBN 0313331650. Link: [1]
  33. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Maria Sharapova Playing Activity (2005 results can be accessed by selecting the year from the menu), WTA Tour official website. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  34. ^ Sharapova humiliated by Davenport
  35. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Maria Sharapova Playing Activity (2006 results can be accessed by selecting the year from the menu), WTA Tour official website. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  36. ^ Beaten Sharapova turns on media, BBC News, January 26, 2006. Accessed June 2, 2008.
  37. ^ Robbins, Liz. Tennis: At last, Sharapova proves it - she's not a 1-hit wonder, International Herald Tribune, September 12, 2006. Accessed June 2, 2008.
  38. ^ Henin & Mauresmo in Madrid final, BBC News. Accessed August 11, 2008.
  39. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Maria Sharapova Playing Activity (2007 results can be accessed by selecting the year from the menu), WTA Tour official website. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  40. ^ Parched stars give heat rules a bake
  41. ^ Henin, Sharapova eye quarters, Herald Tribune. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  42. ^ With Third Title, Sharapova Shows She’s Back
  43. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Maria Sharapova Playing Activity, WTA Tour official website. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  44. ^ Brilliant Sharapova hammers Henin
  45. ^ Sharapova Reaches the Final Again and Hopes for a Better Outcome
  46. ^ Red-hot Sharapova downs Jankovic to make Australian Open tennis final
  47. ^ Australian Open Match Statistics
  48. ^ Sharapova set to make Fed Cup debut
  49. ^ Sharapova withdraws from Miami event with shoulder injury
  50. ^ Match Statistics
  51. ^ Sharapova wins epic battle, BBC News. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  52. ^ Tennis-Top seed Sharapova advances to Amelia Island semi-finals
  53. ^ Match Statistics
  54. ^ Sharapova beats Cibulkova at Amelia Island, wins 1st clay-court title
  55. ^ WTA Tour - Sharapova into Amelia Island semis
  56. ^ a b Lucky No.13 For Serena in Charleston
  57. ^ Career matches involving Sharapova and Serena Williams
  58. ^ Casualty City: Sharapova Pulls Out Of Rome, Jankovic Vs. Cornet In Final
  59. ^ Sharapova To Take Over No.1 Ranking
  60. ^ Sharapova needs 8-6 win in third set to overcome Rodina
  61. ^ Sharapova a long way from Grand Slam form
  62. ^ Match Statistics
  63. ^ French Open: Sharapova screeches to a halt at hands of compatriot Safina
  64. ^ Sharapova Roars, but She Is Silenced by Safina Once Again
  65. ^ Safina ousts No. 1 Sharapova, advances to quarterfinals
  66. ^ Match Statistics
  67. ^ Sharapova to drop from top spot after French Open
  68. ^ Jankovic pulls out of Birmingham
  69. ^ Sharapova loss just the start of a chaotic day at Wimbledon
  70. ^ Ivanovic Gets Past Kvitova; Dubois Edges Kirilenko
  71. ^ WTA Tour - Ivanovic through, Sharapova out
  72. ^ Detroit News wire services (October 3, 2008). "Briefs: Sharapova finished for season". Retrieved October 17, 2008.
  73. ^ "Sony Ericsson WTA Tour - Singles Rankings - Numeric List" (PDF). December 8, 2008. p. 2. Retrieved December 12, 2008.
  74. ^ Sharapova Withdraws from Australian Open SI.com, January 11, 2009
  75. ^ a b Reuters (February 4, 2009). "Sharapova pulls out of Paris Open - Tennis - Yahoo! Sports". Retrieved February 12, 2009. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  76. ^ Sharapova Withdraws from Miami Yahoo Sports, March 22, 2009
  77. ^ Sharapova out of Rome and Madrid
  78. ^ Myskina stands by Fed Cup threat, BBC News, November 2004. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  79. ^ Sharapova keen to play for Russia, BBC News. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  80. ^ Sharapova delays debut for Russia, BBC News. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  81. ^ Sharapova to miss Fed Cup debut, BBC News. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  82. ^ Sharapova pull-out angers Russia, BBC News. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  83. ^ Russia drop Sharapova for Fed Cup, BBC News. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  84. ^ Row over Sharapova's Fed Cup show, BBC News. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  85. ^ Maria Sharapova unwilling to trade her Russian citizenship for anything, Pravda.ru, October 2005. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  86. ^ Kathy Ehrich-Dowd (April 17, 2006). "Celebrity Q & A - Maria Sharapova". People Magazine.
  87. ^ Moving on, TimesOnline. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  88. ^ Trendy Sharapova jumps into the hip-hop mix, Bangkok Post. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  89. ^ Sharapova puts loss in perspective, ESPN. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  90. ^ Maria Sharapova plans 1st trip back to Chernobyl since family fled, USAToday. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  91. ^ Service held for Wimbledon girl, BBC News. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  92. ^ "Henin is best of her generation". BBC Sports. May 15, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  93. ^ "Billie Jean King's text inspired Sharapova". NBC Sports. January 26, 2008. Retrieved October 24, 2008.
  94. ^ Marc Ganis, the president of SportsCorp Ltd., a sports-industry consultant in Chicago, said, "Never underestimate the importance of physical beauty to an athlete's endorsement opportunities. Other than performance on the court, it may be the single most important asset." The New York Times. Serving Their Clients, September 7, 2006
  95. ^ "It does not hurt that Sharapova is regarded as one of the most beautiful athletes in the world." Marketing Maria: Managing the Athlete Endorsement, Harvard Business School Lessons from the classroom, Sara Jane Gilbert, October 29, 2007. Retrieved on June 1, 2008.
  96. ^ "Rod's daughter most eligible". NEWS.COM.AU. February 28, 2007. Retrieved February 28, 2007.
  97. ^ The Celebrity 100
  98. ^ Celebrities on Modeling: Maria Sharapova, Jurgita.com. Accessed July 23, 2008.
  99. ^ Hines, Nico. Ad agency sued over lewd picture of Maria Sharapova, The Times, November 2, 2007. Accessed June 2, 2008.
  100. ^ Hodgkinson, Mark. Sharapova looks unbeatable in the money stakes, Daily Telegraph, August 17, 2006. Accessed June 2, 2008.

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