View source for Maria Sharapova

{{Infobox tennis biography
| name                        = Maria Sharapova
| image                       = Sharapova WM19 (5) (48521917742).jpg
| caption                     = Maria Sharapova in 2019
| fullname                    = Maria Yuryevna Sharapova
| native_name                 = {{lang|ru|Мария Юрьевна Шарапова}}
| country                     = [[Russia]]
| residence                   = [[Bradenton, Florida]], [[USA]]
| birth_date                  = {{Birth date and age|1987|4|19|}}
| birth_place                 = [[Nyagan]], [[Russia]]
| height                      = 188 cm<ref name="wtatennis">{{cite web|title=Maria Sharapova|url=https://www.wtatennis.com/players/310137/maria-sharapova|work=WTA Tennis}}</ref>
| weight                      = 59 kg
| coach                       =
| turnedpro                   = 19 April 2001<ref name="wtatennis"/>
| retired                     = 26 February 2020<ref>{{cite web|title=Maria Sharapova retirement|url=https://www.news.com.au/sport/tennis/tennis-world-reacts-to-maria-sharapovas-retirement-at-age-32/news-story/419212fbad96319d3dc694971d752229|work=news.com.au|date=26 February 2020|access-date=26 February 2020}}</ref>
| plays                       = Right-handed (two-handed backhand), born left-handed
| careerprizemoney            = $38,777,962
* [[WTA Tour records#WTA career prize money leaders|4th all-time in earnings]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Career Prize Money Leaders|url=http://wtafiles.wtatennis.com/pdf/rankings/All_Career_Prize_Money.pdf|work=[[Women's Tennis Association]]|access-date=1 September 2015}}</ref>
| singlesrecord               = {{tennis record|won=645|lost=171}}<ref name="wtatennis"/>
| singlestitles               = 36
| highestsinglesranking       = [[List of WTA number 1 ranked singles tennis players|No. '''1''']] (22 August 2005)<ref name="wtatennis"/>
| AustralianOpenresult        = '''W''' ([[2008 Australian Open - Women's singles|2008]])
| FrenchOpenresult            = '''W''' ([[2012 French Open - Women's singles|2012]], [[2014 French Open - Women's singles|2014]])
| Wimbledonresult             = '''W''' ([[2004 Wimbledon Championships - Women's singles|2004]])
| USOpenresult                = '''W''' ([[2006 US Open - Women's singles|2006]])
| Othertournaments            = yes
| Olympicsresult              = F ([[Tennis at the 2012 Summer Olympics - Women's singles|2012]])
| WTAChampionshipsresult      = '''W''' ([[2004 WTA Tour Championships - Singles|2004]])
| doublesrecord               = 23 - 17 (57.5%)<ref name="wtatennis"/>
| doublestitles               = 3<ref name="wtatennis"/>
| highestdoublesranking       = No. 41 (14 June 2004)<ref name="wtatennis"/>
| AustralianOpenDoublesresult = 2R ([[2003 Australian Open - Women's doubles|2003]], [[2004 Australian Open - Women's doubles|2004]])
| USOpenDoublesresult         = 2R ([[2003 US Open - Women's doubles|2003]])
| Mixed                       = yes
| mixedrecord                 = 2 - 1 (66.7%)
| mixedtitles                 = 0
| USOpenMixedresult           = QF ([[2004 US Open - Mixed doubles|2004]])
| Team                        = yes
| FedCupresult                = '''W''' ([[2008 Fed Cup World Group|2008]])
| medaltemplates-expand       = yes
| medaltemplates              =
{{MedalCountry|{{flagu|Russia}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Tennis at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2012 Summer Olympics|2012 London]]|[[Tennis at the 2012 Summer Olympics|Singles]]}}
|module={{Infobox person
|embed                = yes
|signature            = Maria Sharapova signature.png   
}}}}

{{update|date=March 2016}}
[[File:Maria Sharapova Indian Wells 2006.jpg|thumb|Maria Sharapova practicing in 2006]]

'''Maria Sharapova''' (born 19 April 1987) is a [[retired]] [[Russians|Russian]] [[tennis]] player. She was born in [[Nyagan]], Western Siberia, [[RSFSR]].

== Early life ==
Her parents had moved from [[Belarus]] to protect themselves from the [[Chernobyl accident|Chernobyl nuclear accident]].<ref name="usatoday">[https://www.usatoday.com/sports/tennis/2007-08-13-799623401_x.htm Maria Sharapova plans 1st trip back to Chernobyl since family fled], USAToday. Retrieved July 23, 2008.</ref> The Sharapov<sup>1</sup> family moved again in 1989, when Maria became interested in [[tennis]], when watching her [[father]] play, and played [[tennis]] with a second-hand racquet. She would practice tennis by hitting the [[tennis]] [[ball]] against the wall every day, and her dad soon noticed that she was very good at the [[sport]].<ref name="times">{{Cite news|author=Paul Kimmage|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/tennis/article3177376.ece|title=The Big Interview: Maria Sharapova|work=The Times|date=January 13, 2008|accessdate=July 23, 2008|location=London|archive-date=September 18, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080918015756/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/tennis/article3177376.ece|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Maria's tennis coaches told the Sharapovs that they should move to [[Moscow]],<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/backhanded-compliments-as-russian-stars-slam-sharapova-555254.html]{{Dead link|date=August 2021|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}''The Independent'', By Andrew Osborn in Moscow, Tuesday, August 3, 2004</ref> [[Russia]], to get better training. The Sharapova moved again, from Moscow, to follow Maria's [[Coach (sport)|coach]], [[Martina Navratilova]]'s advice, to move to the [[United States]].

There was a problem, though. Sharapova's mother, Yelena, could not get a [[visa]] to go to the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5352917 |title=Sharapova stuns Serena to win title |accessdate=2007-09-28 |date= July 3, 2004}}</ref> Meanwhile, Maria and her father tried to get Maria to go to a [[famous]] sports [[school]], and they also had to learn [[English language|English]]. Maria had already learned a lesson in her life  that tennis excellence would only come at a price.

“I used to be so lonely,” Maria Sharapova recalls. “I missed my mother terribly. My father was working as mush as he could to keep my tennis-training going. So, he couldn't see me either “Because I was so young, I used to go to bed at 8 p.m. The other tennis pupils would come in 11 p.m. and wake me up and order me to tidy up the room and clean it.

“Instead of letting that depress me, I became more quietly determined and mentally tough. I learnt how to take care of myself. I never thought of quitting because I knew what I wanted. When you come from nothing and you have nothing, then it makes you very hungry and determine.... I would have put up with much more humiliation and insults that to steadfastly purse my dream." That toughness runs through Maria even today.

== Career ==
She began to win tournaments and many people started to notice her. Her games improved, and Maria Sharapova gained more [[supporter|fans]].

She has won 35 singles titles in her career, including five [[Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam]] championships: [[Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]] in 2004, the [[US Open (tennis)|US Open]] in 2006, the [[Australian Open]] in 2008 and the [[French Open]] in 2012 and 2014. She won an Olympic silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She is the world number 3 women's tennis player as of September 2015. In 2005, she was ranked world number 1 for the first time, and in 2012 for the last time. 

In March 2016, Maria Sharapova revealed she had failed a [[drug test]] at the [[2016 Australian Open]], admitting to testing positive for [[meldonium]], a substance banned by the [[World Anti-Doping Agency]] (WADA) at the start of 2016. On June 8, 2016, she was suspended from playing tennis for two years by the [[International Tennis Federation]] (ITF).<ref>{{cite news|title=Maria Sharapova failed drugs test at Australian Open|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/35750285|publisher=BBC|date=March 8, 2016}}</ref><ref name="ITF prov">{{cite web |url=http://www.itftennis.com/news/225826.aspx |title=Press release: Tennis Anti-Doping Programme statement regarding Maria Sharapova |publisher=International Tennis Federation |date=March 7, 2016 |accessdate=March 15, 2016 |archive-date=January 8, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190108212426/https://www.itftennis.com/news/225826.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Maria Sharapova banned for two years for failed drugs test but will appeal|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/36482288|publisher=BBC|date=June 8, 2016}}</ref>

== Foot ==
<sup>1</sup>In Russia, female [[surname]]s are changed so that their gender can be identified, so Sharapov becomes Sharapov'''a'''.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Tennis World Number Ones (women)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharapov, Maria}}
[[Category:1987 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Australian Open champions]]
[[Category:Doping cases in sport]]
[[Category:Russian tennis players]]
[[Category:French Open champions]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for Russia]]
[[Category:Russian models]]
[[Category:US Open (tennis) champions]]
[[Category:Wimbledon champions]]
[[Category:World No. 1 tennis players]]