Mika Cell
Maria Sharapova played tennis professionally in the past. She has participated in Women’s Tennis Association matches dressed as a Russian player. Notably, she is the only Russian woman tennis player to have competed in a Grand Slam.
Who is Maria Sharapova? Childhood, Parents, Education, and Nationality
Maria was birthed in Nyagan, the Russian Soviet Socialist Republic. She is Yuri Sharapov’s and Yelena Sharapov’s daughter. She is also the niece of former Russian player Yevgeny Kafelnikov. Her cousin is Russian model Alesya Kafelnikova.
Yuri and Yelena used to reside in the Byelorussian SSR’s Gomel area. There were numerous fears regarding the geographical impacts of the 1996 Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe near Pripyat.
As a result, the couple relocated to Nyagan. About a year later, Maria was born. In 1989, they relocated to Sochi, Krasnodar Krai, with Sharapova.
Moreover, Maria began playing tennis when she was four years old. She got her first tennis racket at that time. Her father used to force her to play tennis with him. Later, she began taking tennis lessons with legendary Russian instructor Yuri Yutkin.
Maria attended a tennis clinic in Moscow when she was six years old. She seeks professional instruction from Nick Bollettieri.
He worked as a trainer at the IMG Academy in Florida, USA. As a result, she visited America with her father in 1994.
During her father’s early years in the United States, he struggled greatly due to limited money and bad English.
Eventually, She was recruited by IMG in 1995. They agreed to cover Maria’s yearly tuition price if she continued at the Academy. Moreover, She enrolled at the age of nine.
How did Maria Sharapova start her professional career?
Maria made her professional tennis debut on her birthday in 2001. Then, in 2002, she made her WTA debut at the Pacific Life Open.
Maria became the youngest woman ever to reach the final of the Australian Open. In 2002, the International Tennis Federation placed her sixth among junior world singles players.
Maria was able to play in a full professional season beginning in 2003. At Wimbledon, she beat Jelena Dokic. The Japan Open Tennis Championships was her first WTA championship.
In the 2004 season, Maria advanced to the third round of the Qatar Telecom German Open and the International BNL d’Italia, both Tier I events.
Maria continued to push herself throughout the next season. She rose to third place in the world rankings in early 2005 after winning the Toray Pan Pacific Open and the Qatar Total Open.
View this post on Instagram
She began her US Open campaign as the third seed in 2006. Moreover, She won her second Grand Slam singles championship there, defeating second seed Justine Henin.
Maria won the Grand Slam after defeating Ana Ivanovic at the Australian Open in early 2008. Her 18-match winning streak came to an end this year when she lost in the semifinals of the Pacific Life Open.
In 2012, Maria defeated Victoria Azarenka to win the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany. Further, In the 2018 season, she climbed to No. 29 in the global rankings. Moreover, In the first round of the Indian Wells Open, she was defeated by Naomi Osaka.
Furthermore, she played her 800th career singles match in the first round of the 2019 Shenzhen Open.
She competed in an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi in 2020. Donna Vekic beat her in the first round of the Australian Open in 2020. It was the last game of Maria’s career.
Maria Sharapova | Injury
In August of this year, she was forced to withdraw from contests due to a shoulder issue. She was rated 126 in May 2009 owing to missing matches due to injury.
Following her recovery, she won the 2009 Toray Pan Pacific Open. Interestingly, she lost her first match at the Australian Open in 2010.
In August 2011, she was ranked fourth in the world. She was injured again during the 2011 Toray Pan Pacific Open. As a result, she withdrew from the rest of the season’s matches.
Is Maria Sharapova single? Spouse and Kids
She dated Adam Levine who is the lead singer of the band Maroon 5.
Between 2005 and 2006, she was in a relationship with Andy Roddick. She also had a brief relationship with Charlie Ebersol in 2008.
In terms of significant partnerships, she was engaged to Sasha Vujacic in 2011. Since 2009, the Slovenian professional basketball player has been in a relationship with her.
Eventually, the pair ended their engagement in 2012 and split. Between 2013 and 2015, she was once again in a relationship with Grigor Dimitrov. Grigor is a tennis player from Bulgaria.
View this post on Instagram
She then began dating British businessman Alexander Gilkes in 2018. They were first seen together in March 2018 at a Beverly Hills art gallery. Eventually, Maria wedded Alexander. And, She gave birth to a son, Theodore.
You may also know about Joakim Noah
How old is Maria Sharapova? Height, Weight, and Body Measurements
Maira Sharapova is currently 35 years old. Moreover, Maria’s height is 1.88 m, and similarly, her weight is 59 kg.
Maria Sharapova | Net Worth and Salary
It is believed that Maria has made more than $325 million over her career. According to reports, she only won $38 million in prize money. Only Serena Williams is higher on the list of the highest-paid female players.
Moreover, Maria Sharapova’s net worth is estimated to be approximately $195 million as of 2022. She earned roughly $18 million per year at the pinnacle of her career.
Maria Sharapova | Retirement
In 2020, she competed in an exhibition competition in Abu Dhabi. Donna Vekic beat her in the opening round of the 2020 Australian Open.
Eventually, It was the final game of her career. In February 2020, she declared her retirement from tennis.
Maria Sharapova | Social Media Presence
Twitter: 8.4 million followers
Instagram: 4.4 million followers
View this post on Instagram
Quick Facts:
| Full Name | Maria Yuryevna Sharapova |
| Birth Date | April 19, 1987 |
| Birth Place | Nyagan, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Nickname | Siberian Siren |
| Religion | Christianity (Eastern Orthodox) |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Ethnicity | Mixed |
| Education | Keystone National High School, PennsylvaniaIMG Academy |
| Horoscope | Aries |
| Father’s Name | Yuri Sharapov |
| Mother’s Name | Yelena Sharapov |
| Siblings | None |
| Age | 35 Years Old |
| Height | 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm) |
| Weight | 59 kg (130 lbs) |
FAQs:
Is Maria Dating Enrique Iglesias?
Maria is not dating Enrique Iglesias.
How many Grand Slams Title Maria Won?
Maria has won 5 Grand Slams titles.
Does Sharapova Have Tattoo?
Sharapova has a tattoo on her neck.
