Maria Sharapova

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Maria Sharapova Biography

Maria Sharapova was born on April 19, 1987 in Nyagan, Russia to Yuri and Yelena Sharapova. When she was two years old, her family moved to Sochi (also in Russia, near the Black Sea). She became enamored by the game at age four, and has played ever since, in fact, she was part of an exhibition in Moscow with tennis legend Martina Navratilova when she was six year’s old.
At the ripe young age of nine, she moved to the United States to study tennis at Nick Bollettieri’s Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida. She came with her father, and had to leave her mother behind in Russia for two years do work out finances and many issues with receiving visas.
In 2001 she joined the junior circuit where she won the Sacramento, Hilton Head and Pilsen titles, with a record of 25-3.
In 2002 she had a record of 26-3 and won the Vancouver, Peachtree and Gunma titles. She also played three matches in the professional tour (record of 1-2). She did well enough to be ranked 186 on the WTA charts.
IN 2003 She joined the professional tour with a record of 34-11 while winning the Quebec City and Japan Open titles. Her ranking improved to place her at #32 on the WTA charts.
In 2004 she did even better, winning a few titles, including the coveted Wimbledon's singles title (the others were Birmingham, Seoul and the Japan Open) and had an overall 54-15 record.
Maria begins this season ranked #2 in the world.
A repeat of Wimbledon was not in the cards for Sharapova in 2005. She failed to defend her title there by a semi-finals loss to Venus Williams (6-7 and 1-6)
In August 2005, she was ranked #1 by the WTa for the first time in her professional career!
She has leant her name to a sports designer watch in August 2005, the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Diamonds, which she helped design.
Maria lost in the semi-final match at the U.S. Open, but is still ranked #1.
Hobbies and Interests include: dancing (jazz), watching movies (favorite = Pearl Harbor), reading (Sherlock Holmes, Russian music and Russian food and eating desert.

Statistics:

Year	Level	Win-Loss
2001	Junior	25-3
2001	Challengers	0-1
2002	Junior	26-6
2002	Challengers	26-3
2002	WTA	1-2
2003	Challengers	4-1
2003	WTA	34-12
2004	WTA	55-15
2005	WTA	43-7 (as of 8/26)
Total		214-50

WTA Tournament Wins:

Singles
- 2003: Japan Open; Quebec City
- 2004: Birmingham; Wimbledon; Seol; Japan Open
- 2005: Birmingham, Doha & Tokyo (as of 8/26)
Doubles
- 2003: Japan Open w/ Tamarine Tanasugarn; Luxembourg w/ Tamarine Tanasugarn
  2004: Birmingham w/ Maria Kirilenko

Biography by Ian Ripley, PopStarsPlus.com, Sr. Staff Writer

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