Maria Sharapova

Lore & Background

Maria Sharapova was born on 19 April 1987 in Nyagan, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union, to parents from Gomel, Byelorussian SSR, who left due to concerns about the Chernobyl nuclear accident. She received her first tennis racquet at age four from Aleksandr Kafelnikov and began training with her father. At six, she attended a clinic run by Martina Navratilova, who recommended professional training at the IMG Academy in Florida. With limited funds, she and her father moved to the United States in 1994, and she enrolled at the academy at age nine after IMG agreed to pay tuition.

Sharapova won her first major title at the 2004 Wimbledon Championships as a 17-year-old, upsetting two-time defending champion Serena Williams. She became world No. 1 in August 2005 at age 18, the first Russian woman to top the singles rankings. After winning the 2006 US Open and 2008 Australian Open, she struggled with injuries but completed the career Grand Slam by winning the 2012 French Open. She won a second French Open in 2014 for her fifth major title. In 2016, she failed a drug test for meldonium at the Australian Open, was suspended for two years, later reduced to 15 months, and returned to the tour in April 2017. She retired in 2020 and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2025.

Reader's Guide

Maria Sharapova's significance lies in her achievement of the career Grand Slam, making her one of only ten women to win all four major singles titles. She broke through as a teen sensation by winning Wimbledon at 17, upsetting Serena Williams, and became the first Russian woman to reach world No. 1. Her career was marked by both sustained success—including five major titles and an Olympic silver medal—and a major doping suspension that raised questions about athlete responsibility and banned substances. Off the court, she was a highly marketable athlete, featured in modeling assignments and advertisements for major brands, and served as a United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador. She was named one of the '30 Legends of Women's Tennis' by Time and one of the '100 Greatest of All Time' by Tennis Channel. Her legacy includes being the highest-paid female athlete for 11 consecutive years and earning $285 million since turning professional in 2001.

Did You Know?

• Sharapova was the first Russian woman to be ranked world No. 1 in singles.
• She won the 2004 Wimbledon Championships at age 17, upsetting two-time defending champion Serena Williams.
• She failed a drug test for meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open and was suspended for 15 months.
• She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2025.