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Maria Sharapova, Tennis Player

Born: 19 April 1987
Birthplace: Nyagan, Russia
Best Known As: 17-year-old singles champion of Wimbledon 2004

Maria Yuryevna Sharapova is a Russian professional tennis player and the current top ranked player in the world.[4] As of the end of 2006, she was the world's highest-paid female athlete.[2]

Sharapova has won two Grand Slam singles titles. She is the reigning U.S. Open champion, having defeated Justine Henin in the final of the 2006 U.S. Open. Two years earlier, she defeated Serena Williams in the final at Wimbledon.

Personal life

Sharapova's parents moved from Gomel, Belarus, to Siberia, Russia, in 1986, after the Chernobyl nuclear accident. She was born the following year in Nyagan, Russia.

At seven, Sharapova was brought to the United States by her father, Yuri Sharapov, to attend the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Her mother, Yelena, who could not come with them because of visa restrictions, followed a few years later. Sharapova has lived in the United States since then but retains her Russian citizenship.

Sharapova recently purchased a beach home in Manhattan Beach, California [3], a suburb of Los Angeles, but lives most of the year near the IMG training facility in Bradenton.

Career

2004 and 2005

In 2004, a year after reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon as a wild card, Sharapova became the third-youngest Wimbledon women's champion (after Lottie Dod and Martina Hingis) and second-youngest in the open era by defeating Ai Sugiyama (5-7, 7-5, 6-1) in a quarterfinal, Lindsay Davenport (2-6, 7-6, 6-1) in a semifinal, and two-time defending champion Serena Williams (6-1, 6-4) in the final. She also became the first Russian to win that tournament. At the U.S. Open a few months later, she lost to French player and two-time Grand Slam champion Mary Pierce. Sharapova ended 2004 with a victory at the season-ending WTA Championships, defeating an injured Serena Williams (4-6, 6-2, 6-4) after coming back from 0-4 in the final set. After losing to Sharapova in a semifinal of this event, Anastasia Myskina said: "He [Sharapova's father] was just yelling and screaming instructions to her and I thought he just might jump right on the court at one point in the match."

From June 2004 until her Wimbledon semifinal appearance in 2005, Sharapova won 22 straight matches on grass, including consecutive Birmingham titles and the Wimbledon title. She reached the semifinals of the 2005 Australian Open, where she held three match points against Serena Williams before losing 2-6, 7-5, 8-6. Off court, she was paid for numerous commercial endorsements.

Defending her Wimbledon title in 2005, Sharapova reached the semifinals without losing a set but then fell to a rejuvenated Venus Williams (7-6, 6-1). Sharapova's streak on grass was ended, as was her quest to dethrone top-ranked Davenport.

However, Davenport injured her back in the Wimbledon final, preventing her from defending the ranking points she obtained during the U.S. hard-court season of 2004. Sharapova had fewer points to defend and therefore rose to the No. 1 ranking on August 22, 2005. Her reign lasted only one week, however, as Davenport re-ascended to the top ranking after winning the title in New Haven. Sharapova rose to the No. 1 ranking again on September 12, 2005, despite losing in the semifinals of the U.S. Open. Sharapova kept the No. 1 ranking for six weeks before relinquishing it again to Davenport following the 2005 Zurich Open.

Sharapova's loss in a semifinal of the 2005 U.S. Open against Kim Clijsters marked the fourth time that year she had lost at a Grand Slam tournament to the eventual champion: Australian Open-SF-Serena Williams, French Open-QF-Justine Henin, Wimbledon-SF-Venus Williams, U.S. Open-SF-Clijsters.

2006

At the 2006 Australian Open, Sharapova lost in the semifinals to Justine Henin 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, the only match of the year that she lost after winning the first set.

Sharapova claimed her first title of 2006 and eleventh of her career at the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California, a Tier 1 event at which she was the third seed. Sharapova and No. 4 seed Elena Dementieva became the first Russians to reach the event's final, with Sharapova triumphing 6-1, 6-2. Soon after, Sharapova lost in the final of the Nasdaq-100 Open to Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 6-3.

Sharapova participated at the 2006 French Open without having played any of the clay-court tune-ups. 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, after Sharapova led 5-1 in the third set. Sharapova lost 18 of the match's last 21 points.

Sharapova welcomed the onset of the grass season but failed to add a third successive Birmingham title to her collection, losing in the semifinals to American Jamea Jackson.

For the second consecutive year, Sharapova was defeated in the semifinals of Wimbledon, losing to eventual winner Amelie Mauresmo 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.

Sharapova claimed her second title of 2006 as the second seed at the Acura Classic in San Diego, defeating top-seeded Kim Clijsters 7-5, 7-5. This was Sharapova's first victory over Clijsters in five meetings.

Sharapova entered the 2006 U.S. Open seeded third after Clijsters dropped out of the tournament with a wrist injury. Favored to reach the final, she defeated Mauresmo, the top-ranked player in the world, in a semifinal 6-0, 4-6, 6-0. Sharapova then prevailed over Henin in the final 6-4, 6-4 to win her second Grand Slam title

Sharapova won the Zurich Open, defeating Daniela Hantuchova 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 in the final. Sharapova then won the Generali Ladies Linz, defeating fellow Russian and defending champion Nadia Petrova 7-5, 6-2, to take her fifth title of 2006 and the 15th title of her career.

It has been announced that Sharapova will play for the Russian Fed Cup team for the first time in 2007. [4]

2007

Sharapova began 2007 by reaching the final of the Watson Water Champions Challenge, an exhibition tournament and warm-up for the 2007 Australian Open, where she was defeated by Kim Clijsters 6-3, 7-6(8).

At the Australian Open, the top-seeded Sharapova defeated the 62nd-ranked Camille Pin in the first round 6-3, 4-6, 9-7 on her fourth match point. The match was played in air temperatures that exceeded 40 °C (104 °F) and on-court temperatures that exceeded 50 °C (122 °F). In the fourth round, Sharapova defeated compatriot Vera Zvonareva 7-5, 6-4. In the quarterfinals, Sharapova defeated the twelfth-seeded Anna Chakvetadze 7-6(5), 7-5. She then defeated fourth-seeded Clijsters 6-4, 6-2 in the semifinals 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 No. 81 in the world, won easily 6-1, 6-2. Williams was the third-lowest-ranked player in the open era to win a Grand Slam singles title.

As of January 27, 2007:

* Sharapova has a 3-5 record in Grand Slam semifinals.

* Sharapova has a 3-8 record against the other top players in the world (1-3 against third-ranked Amelie Mauresmo and 2-5 against second ranked Justine Henin). Sharapova is 2-3 against Serena Williams and 3-4 against Clijsters, both of whom were formerly top-ranked.

Legal action

In July 2006, Sharapova and her agents sued Byzantium Productions, a Florida-based production company, accusing them of illegally using her name and image to promote their documentaries. A federal judge ruled in Byzantium's favor on August 3, 2006.[5]

Awards

2003

* Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Newcomer of the Year

* Hottest female athlete of the year (Maxim)

2004

* WTA Player of the Year

* WTA Most Improved Player of the Year

* WTA Player Service

* Hottest female athlete of the year (Maxim)

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

* Hottest female athlete of the year (Maxim)

* Prix de Citron Roland Garros

2006

* Hottest female athlete of the year (Maxim)

* Named the country's best female player for the year by Russia's tennis federation

Endorsements and media publicity

* Honda - Following her Wimbledon victory in 2004, Sharapova signed a one-year deal with automobile manufacturer, but the deal was only in Japan.

* Land Rover - In April 2006, Sharapova signed a three-year deal to endorse their vehicles. One source with knowledge of the deal said it was worth approximately U.S. $2 million per year. Sharapova gets a free Land Rover Range Rover Sport in Florida and a chauffeured Land Rover Discovery wherever she wants.

* Motorola - a fee, plus a mobile phone and all her mobile phone bills paid, plus a share of the income of downloads from HelloMoto/Maria. She was criticized at the U.S. Open by some members of the American press for holding a RAZR to her ear at roughly the same time her father was seen talking on a similar phone, as this may have violated the United States Tennis Association's no sideline-coaching rule.[6]

* Gatorade - energy drink

* Tropicana - orange juice

* TAG Heuer - In December 2004, she signed a deal with Swiss sports watch TAG Heuer to become their latest "sport and glamour" ambassador.

* Nike Inc. - Sharapova has been known to wear somewhat eccentric or revealing outfits from Nike on court, best exemplified by a Breakfast at Tiffany's-inspired dress at the 2006 U.S. Open, which many admired for its use of sequins and futuristic neckline. She also has been featured in several Nike marketing campaigns, including one advertisement in 2006 that has her walking and riding through the streets of New York City and Arthur Ashe Stadium while everyone around her sings "I Feel Pretty" until she returns a serve with her trademark loud grunt.

* Prince Sports, Inc. - Sharapova has committed to a "lifetime" of sponsoring the only tennis racket brand she's used as a pro. The endorsement deal that will last until the end of her playing career and beyond.

* Canon Inc. - Sharapova promotes both their office and camera products.

Sharapova's endorsements have earned her considerably more than she has won in tournament play. In June 2005, Forbes magazine listed her as the highest-paid female athlete in the world, with annual earnings of U.S. $18 million. (CBS, the American television network, reported in August 2006 that the figure is over U.S. $20 million.) In total, she earns over UK£13.4 million per year, over 90 percent of which comes from endorsements. When asked about her income, she said, "It's never enough. Bring on the money. There's no limit to how much you can make."[7] In a later interview, she said, "You know, one of the greatest things about being an athlete and, you know, making money is realising that you can help, you know, help the world, and especially children, who I absolutely love working with."[8]

Sharapova is visible in and outside of the court for her looks. Sharapova posed in a six-page bikini photoshoot spread in the 2006 issue of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, annual magazine that debuted on Valentine's Day, along with 25 scantily-clad supermodels. Sharapova joined the ranks of other athletes who have previously appeared in the publication. In April 2005, Sharapova was listed by People Magazine as among the 50 most beautiful celebrities in the world. In 2006, Maxim magazine named Sharapova the hottest athlete in the world for the fourth consecutive year.

Racquet

Sharapova's first racquet (before she entered the professional circuit) was one given to her by a family friend.

Sharapova used the Prince Tour Diablo for part of 2003 and then used several different Prince racquets until the 2004 U.S. Open. Sharapova began using the Prince Shark MP at that tournament and had a major part in the production of the Shark racquet. She then switched to the Prince O3 White racquet in January 2006, and this is currently the racquet that Sharapova uses.

Controversies

Sharapova has been criticised by many for what seems to be sideline-coaching from her father during matches. At the 2006 U.S. Open she was observed receiving coaching gestures from her father and another coach. Though officials did nothing, the media quizzing that followed led to accusations of cheating. At the 2004 WTA Tour Championships, for example, Yuri Sharapov, Maria Sharapova's father, had been warned by the chair umpire for coaching during his daughter's win over Anastasia Myskina. [9]

At the 2006 Australian Open, Yuri Sharapov was accused of yelling out to distract Justine Henin during his daughter's losing semifinal appearance. He yelled "VAMOS" in the middle of a rally and when Henin looked in his direction, he twirled around, looking behind him and pretending that the yelling was done by someone else. The following year, Sharapova was one of four women and three men to be warned and fined for receiving sideline coaching at the event. Sharapova denied having received any coaching, but Tony Roche said the cheating was obvious and supervisors needed to improve surveillance of the stands. [10]

Sharapova has been accused of using her trademark "Sharapova Shriek" to distract opponents. John Newcombe has said, "It's actually what I consider legalised cheating because one of the great senses that you have on a tennis court is your ability to hear the ball come off your opponent's strings." [11]

At the 2007 Australian Open, Sharapov was fined $2,000 for sideline-coaching. He made many obvious gestures and hand movements, which were allegedly to advise Sharapova of which shots to play against opponent Anna Chakvetadze. [12]

Trivia

* Never one to stay quiet on court, perhaps one of the most controversial aspects of Sharapova's game is her trademark on-court "grunting" or "screaming." Quite possibly the loudest female screamer since Monica Seles, a London tabloid is reported to have claimed that "her persistent shrieks topped out at 102 decibels" .[13] Sharapova claims that this is just part of her game and that only the British press give her a hard time about it. Elena Dementieva, Sharapova's opponent in a 2006 Wimbledon quarterfinal, complained about the distraction it causes.[14] Later in the US Open, Tatiana Golovin said: "Shrieking is not going to make the tennis ball come to me faster."[15]

* Sharapova is good friends with fellow Russian tennis player Maria Kirilenko.[16]

* In Russian, the diminutive form of Maria is Masha. Sharapova's friends and family often call her this name instead of her full name.[17][18]

* Sharapova gave the racquet she used in the Wimbledon final to Regis Philbin when taping Live with Regis and Kelly.

* Sharapova has held the "Hottest Female Athlete of the Year" award from Maxim Magazine for four years running.

* Sharapova's favourite designer is Marc Jacobs. She is sometimes seen at his fashion shows. [19]

Quotes

* Announcer: And I'm sure you have a few words to say (after presenting the 2007 Australian Open runner-up trophy to her)

Maria Sharapova: A few more than the games I won today.

* 'You mean my speech was better than my game today?' (at the press conference after losing the Australian Open's final)

* 'I look forward to playing her many more times - and winning a few, I hope.' (after a defeat by Serena Williams in the 2007 Australian Open)

* 'I believe, at the end of the day, personally, my life is not about a banana.' (when asked at the press conference after the 2006 U.S. open final about her father's illegal signaling and feeding her during the match).

* 'I've been playing against older and stronger competition my whole life. It has made me a better tennis player and able to play against this kind of level despite their strength and experience.'[20]

* 'When I was working my way to the top of tennis, I didn't say I was number two, I said I wanted to be number one.'[21]

* 'I am both an athlete and a businesswoman.'