Maria Sharapova – Age | Height | Net Worth | Husband | Parents

Maria Sharapova is a Russian former tennis participant. She gained her first grand slam title at Wimbledon in 2004 when she was 17 years previous.

Maria Sharapova

• Date of Birth: 19 April 1987
• Age: 35 years previous
• Place of Birth: Nyagan, Russia
• Country (Sports): Russia
• Height: 188cm / 6ft 2ins
• Grand Slam Singles Titles: 5
• Turned Pro: 2001
• Retired: 2020
• Career Prize Money: $38,777,962 (£32.1m)
• Net Worth: $220m / £182m (Forbes, 2022)

• Instagram: @mariasharapova
• Twitter: @mariasharapova

Sharapova burst onto the scene at SW19 as a youngster, defeating title-holder Serena Williams in straight units to assert the title on the All England Club.

Born in Nyagan, Russia, Sharapova first began enjoying tennis when she was round 4 years previous, earlier than transferring to the United States along with her father in 1994.

After a promising junior profession, she gained her first WTA title on the Japan Open Tennis Championships in 2003, earlier than having fun with a formidable transfer up the rankings.

She went on to win Wimbledon the next yr and ended up capturing a complete of 5 grand slam titles in her glittering profession and reaching the world primary rating.

Sharapova is at the moment ranked at quantity 4 on the very best-paid feminine tennis gamers of all time and is estimated to have a web value within the area of $220m (£182m).

So, what can we learn about Maria Sharapova’s journey to turning into the gifted tennis participant she was? This is her story.

Early Life, Parents And Upbringing

Maria Sharapova (full title: Maria Yuryevna Sharapova) was born on 19 April 1987 in Nyagan, Russia, to oldsters Yuri Sharapov and Yelena.

Maria began enjoying tennis when she was round 4 years previous when she started practising along with her father at an area park.

“The first time I remember seeing a tennis court, my father was playing on it,” Sharapova mentioned in 2020 in Vanity Fair. “I was four years old in Sochi, Russia—so small that my tiny legs were dangling off the bench I was sitting on. So small that the racket I picked up next to me was twice my size.”

She confirmed expertise from an early age and in 1993 she caught the eye of tennis star Martina Navratilova. Following a suggestion by Navratilova, a six-yr-previous Sharapova and her father – neither of whom may converse English on the time – moved to Florida within the United States, the place she rapidly earned a scholarship to a tennis academy.

Maria Sharapova (Photo: Leonard Zhukovsky / depositphotos.com)

“When I first started playing, the girls on the other side of the net were always older, taller, and stronger,” Sharapova explains. “The tennis greats I watched on TV seemed untouchable and out of reach. But little by little, with every day of practice on the court, this almost mythical world became more and more real.”

Junior Career

Sharapova was a powerful junior participant and peaked at quantity six within the junior world rankings in October 2002.

In 2000, Sharapova gained the Eddie Herr International Junior Tennis Championships within the ladies’ 16 division on the age of simply 13.

She gained a complete of three junior singles titles on the ITF circuit – all in 2001 – together with grade 4 and 5 titles in California and South Carolina.

Sharapova additionally reached the finals of the ladies’ singles occasions on the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2002. Her win/loss ratio as a junior participant in singles was 47/9.

First Grand Slam Title

After having turned skilled in 2001 on her 14th birthday, Sharapova made her WTA event primary-draw debut on the Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells in March 2002. She was handed a wildcard into the primary spherical and beat Brie Rippner to succeed in spherical two, the place she misplaced to Monica Seles in straight units.

Sharapova loved one thing of a breakthrough yr in 2003, when she performed a full season and loved a speedy stand up the WTA rankings.

She made her primary-draw grand slam singles debut on the 2003 Australian Open after having come by qualifying, however misplaced to Klara Koukalova within the first spherical in Melbourne. She additionally got here by qualifying to succeed in the primary spherical of the 2003 French Open after which misplaced within the first spherical to Magui Serna.

Sharapova then loved a formidable run at Wimbledon in 2003 after having been handed a wildcard into the principle draw. She beat Ashley Harkleroad, Elena Bovina and Jelena Dokic to make it to spherical 4, the place she misplaced to fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova.

She gained her first WTA title aged 16 on the Japan Open in Tokyo in October 2003, beating Aniko Kapros of Hungary within the ultimate in three units. Her second WTA title adopted in November 2003 at Quebec City, when she overcame Milagros Sequera within the ultimate.

Sharapova’s advantageous kind had propelled her into the highest 20 within the WTA rankings and she or he loved a stellar run on the 2004 French Open, the place she reached the quarter-finals of a grand slam for the primary time. She misplaced to Paola Suarez of Argentina within the final eight in Paris.

Maria Sharapova after profitable Wimbledon in 2004 (Photo: Wimbledon / YouTube / Screengrab)

After having claimed her third profession WTA title in Birmingham within the lead-as much as Wimbledon in 2004. Sharapova went on to make historical past on the All England Club.

Sharapova beat the likes of Daniela Hantuchova, Ai Sugiyama and Lindsay Davenport to arrange a 2004 Wimbledon ultimate showdown with Serena Williams. In the ultimate, Sharapova sealed a formidable 6-1 6-4 victory to assert her first grand slam title, aged 17 years and 75 days.

“It’s unreal,” Sharapova mentioned afterwards. “My father and I have been through this together and it’s just amazing. I know how tough it is to watch and playing is a lot easier so I owe him so much. It’s always been my dream to come here and win but it was never in my mind that I would do it this year.”

“When I got here off courtroom and noticed my title on that board with all of the champions, that was once I realised what I’d executed.

Maria Sharapova (Photo: Leonard Zhukovsky / depositphotos.com)

Reflecting on her victory at Wimbledon in 2020, Sharapova mentioned: “I was a naive 17-year-old, still collecting stamps, and didn’t understand the magnitude of my victory until I was older—and I’m glad I didn’t.”

Sharapova capped her glowing yr in 2004 by profitable the WTA Tour finals, defeating Serena Williams within the ultimate, 4–6, 6–2, 6–4.

“I’m still in shock,” Sharapova mentioned after securing the victory in a single hour and 46 minutes. “I can’t believe the way I pulled it out. It’s very unreal the way I stuck in there. It’s been an amazing year.”

More Progress And Later Career

Sharapova would go on to get pleasure from a glowing tennis profession, however her subsequent grand slam title didn’t arrive till 2006 on the US Open.

There, she beat the likes of Li Na, Tatiana Golovin and Amelie Mauresmo to succeed in the ultimate at Flushing Meadows, the place she defeated Justine Henin in straight units.

Maria Sharapova (Photo: China Images / Imagine China Limited / depositphotos.com)

“The first thing that comes to mind when you go down in the ground, you think of everything you put into the moment,” Sharapova mentioned afterwards. “Not just preparation that happened two weeks before the tournament but preparation that goes back to when I was a little girl.”

Sharapova gained an extra three grand slam titles throughout her profession – the Australian Open in 2008, and the French Open in each 2012 and 2014. She was final ranked at primary on the earth in August 2005.

Following a failed drug check from the 2016 Australian Open, through which she examined constructive for meldonium, a substance that had been banned from 1 January 2016 by the World Anti-Doping Agency, Sharapova was provisionally suspended from aggressive tennis with impact from 12 March.

On 8 June 2016, she was banned for 2 years by the International Tennis Federation. The suspension was later decreased to fifteen months, ranging from 26 January 2016 – which was the date of the drug check she had failed.

In February 2020, Sharapova introduced her retirement from enjoying tennis after a 28-yr profession. Writing in an article for Vanity Fair, she mentioned: “Tennis showed me the world – and it showed me what I was made of. It’s how I tested myself and how I measured my Growth. And so in whatever I might choose for my next chapter, my next mountain, I’ll still be pushing. I’ll still be climbing. I’ll still be growing.”

Net Worth

As is the case with most sports activities stars and celebrities, there isn’t a ‘official’ quantity obtainable for Maria Sharapova’s web value. However, quite a lot of publications have tried to estimate the entire worth of her fortune.

As of June 2022, Forbes estimated that Sharapova’s web value is within the area of $220m (£182m).

In 2006, Forbes estimated that Sharapova had earned $18m in a single yr from her sponsorship offers with the likes of Canon, Motorola and Nike.

Maria Sharapova (Photo: Popular Images / Tuukka Jantti / depositphotos.com)

Sharapova is considered one of highest-incomes girls’s gamers in tennis historical past. She earned a complete of $38,777,962 (£32.1m) in prize Money from the game, mixed for each singles and doubles, putting her at quantity 4 on the all-time WTA high earners record.

Life Away From The Court

Following her spectacular success on the tennis courtroom, Sharapova grow to be a critical power within the Business world with a collection of profitable ventures, together with a Nike attire assortment, a Porsche ambassadorship, and her personal sweet and chocolate line, Sugarpova.

According to her WTA profile web page, her favorite meals are Russian and Thai delicacies and her favourite dessert is French crepes with nutella.

Some of her different pursuits embrace trend, singing, dancing and watching films. She has an especially robust following on social Media and in 2014 grew to become first tennis participant, male or feminine, to cross 15 million followers on Facebook. At the time of writing, Sharapova had 4.4m followers on Instagram.

Maria Sharapova along with her companion Alexander Gilkes, pictured in 2022 (Photo: @mariasharapova / Instagram)

When asserting her retirement from enjoying tennis in 2020, Sharapova revealed a few of the issues she was trying ahead to. “There are a few simple things I’m really looking forward to – A sense of stillness with my family. Lingering over a morning cup of coffee. Unexpected weekend getaways. Workouts of my choice (hello, dance class!).”

Since 2018, Sharapova has been in a relationship with British businessman Alexander Gilkes. In December 2020, Sharapova and Gilkes revealed they’re engaged. In July 2022, the couple welcomed their first son, Theodore.

What Have Others Said?

Justine Henin-Hardenne, talking after dropping to Sharapova within the 2006 US Open ultimate: “She’s been a real fighter tonight. The better player won tonight.”

Serena Williams, talking about Sharapova in 2021: “I got a chance to hang out with her at Met Gala. She’s fun. We talked, we clicked, we laughed. We talked about tennis, and it was really, really fun, and I loved it.”