Maria Yuryevna Sharapova is a Russian tennis player who used to be the No. 1 player in the world. She played on the WTA Tour from 2001 to 2020. For 21 weeks straight, the Women’s Tennis Association ranked her as the best singles player in the world. She is one of only ten women and the only Russian to have won all four Grand Slams in her career.
Maria Sharapova Biography
Sharapova was only 4 years old when she hit her first tennis ball. Her dad was friends with Aleksandr K, whose son went on to win two grand slams. When Sharapova was four years old, Aleksandr gave her her first tennis racquet. She started practicing regularly at a park with her dad.
Maria’s first tennis lessons were with Yuri Yutkin, a Russian coach with a lot of experience. When Yutkin saw her play, he was immediately impressed by her “exceptional hand-eye coordination.” Sharapova went to a tennis clinic run by Martina Navratilova in Moscow. Navratilova suggested that Sharapova get professional training with Nick Bollettieri at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. When Sharapova’s father moved to Florida with $700 in savings, he worked at several low-paying jobs to pay for her tennis lessons until she was old enough to go to the academy.
In 1995, she was signed by IMG, which agreed to pay Sharapova’s $35,000 annual tuition fee so she could stay at the academy. At age 9, she could finally sign up. Sharapova won the Eddie Herr International Junior Tennis Championships in the 16-year-old girls’ division in November 2000, when she was only 13.
Also read: Is Juan Dixon Gay? Know All About Juan Dixon Life!
Know About Maria Sharapova’s Professional Career
Over the years, Maria Sharapova has become one of the best-known and most successful tennis players and athletes in the world. She has won about 36 WTA singles titles, including five grand slams, one year-end championship, and three WTA premier mandatory singles titles. Maria got the silver medal at the London 2012 Olympics.
Sharapova started getting offers to be a spokesperson for sports and other brands as soon as she started making a name for herself in the sports world. In 2006, just five years into her career, the well-known Forbes magazine named her the best-paid female athlete. Her endorsements from brands like Nike, Cannon, and Motorola were a big part of how much money she made.
Maria Sharapova’s Personal Life
Sharapova’s successful career came to an end when she lost several times in a row. She canceled the 2019 season because she got hurt a lot. In an interview with Vogue later in the month of February, Sharapova said that she was giving up tennis.
In 2011, Sharapova got engaged to Sasha Vujai, a Slovenian professional basketball player she had been dating since 2009. But on August 31, 2012, Sharapova said that the couple had broken up and moved out earlier that year.
Sharapova went out with Bulgarian tennis player Grigor Dimitrov from 2012 to 2015.
Since 2018, Maria Sharapova has been dating business tycoon Alexander Gilkes. Sharapova and Gilkes announced they were getting married in December 2020, and their first child was born on July 15, 2022.
Also read: Know About Myra Monkhouse’s Cause of Death!
What Is Maria Sharapova’s Net Worth?
Sharapova started her career with only $700 in savings. Now, she is one of the best-paid female athletes in the world. She makes about $16 million or more per year and about $1.5 million or more per month.
Sharapova has made more money from endorsements than from playing tennis, which is a big part of why her net worth is so high.
Maria Sharapova’s estimated net worth is around $196 million, thanks to her prize money, brand endorsements, and investments in real estate in the U.S. and Russia.