Sharapova M. Yu, a little amateur tennis player, simply cannot not know. The 31-year-old athlete is the best Russian woman for all the time the country participated in international tournaments. In 2005, she managed to become the first in the WTA ranking. Today it takes 24th place, but in terms of the number of victories in BS tournaments (5!) It is still second only to the Williams sisters from the United States.
The beginning of the way
Maria Sharapova (photo in childhood is presented in the article) - a native of Nyagan (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug). Her parents, residents of Gomel, moved here after the Chernobyl tragedy. The future famous athlete was born in 1987, on April 19.
Soon the family moved to Sochi, where at the age of 4, Masha first picked up a racket. And at six, Yuri Sharapov took his daughter to Moscow, where Martina Navratilova herself conducted a master class. She noticed the talent of the girl and advised to enter the tennis academy, headed by the legendary Nick Bolletieri.
The father heeded the advice of a celebrity and in 1995, together with his daughter, went overseas, where he settled in Bradenton. In this American town, Mary still lives.
Achievements
When did Sharapova first make herself known in tennis? Already at the age of 14, the athlete made her debut in competitions among adults, and at 15 she began to win the first victories. In 2004, her finest hour came. 17-year-old Maria not only won Wimbledon, but also defeated her principal rival - Serena Williams. And then there was the first line in the WTA ranking, 19 win-win fights and a logical victory at the 2006 US Open.
After the victory in Australia, the 2008/2009 season fell out of Sharapova’s sports biography, which underwent a serious shoulder operation. But it was in the fight against injuries that the character of the athlete was tempered. She returned to the court to win again. In 2012, she obeyed the "Roland Garros". By the way, two years later, tennis player Maria Sharapova repeated her success in France.
Despite the fact that the athlete lives across the ocean, she remains a citizen of the Russian Federation, performs in the Federation Cup and the Olympic Games. In 2012, she was entrusted with carrying the flag of the Russian national team in London, and the athlete herself became the silver medalist of the Olympics.
Disqualification and Return
In 2016, a doping scandal shocked the world of tennis. Sharapova openly admitted: traces of meldonium were found in her samples at the Australian Open. This drug was included in the banned list only on January 1, and the results were released in March. The 35-time winner of the WTA tournaments was disqualified for a period of two years. The decision was made by the International Tennis Federation in June 2016.
Maria dreamed of returning to the court, so she challenged the conclusion of ITF. The court of arbitration was shortened by the sports arbitration court, and already in April 2017, Mary was able to go to court. She used time not only for training, but also for raising her education. At Harvard, Sharapova completed a strategic management course.
Returning to the court, the athlete faced a sharp drop in the rating and the need to apply for a wild card in order to participate in major competitions. So, in 2017, the organizers of Roland Garros refused a two-time winner of the tournament in its provision. But Mary does not retreat, gradually regaining her previously gained authority. Today it starts from the 24th line of the WTA world ranking.
Personal life
Maria Sharapova, recognized by Sports Illustrated in 2006 as the most beautiful athlete, is credited with many novels. Among the most famous tennis player fans are Adam Levin, a rock musician (Maroon 5); Sasha Vuyachich, Slovenian basketball player playing at the NBA; Grigor Dimitrov, rising tennis star from Bulgaria.
Photos with the latter can be seen a little higher. Maria broke up with Grigor in 2015, and over the past years the paparazzi have been searching in vain for his successor. Mary herself claimed: men are simply afraid of her.
At the beginning of 2018, the fact that the beautiful tennis player has been meeting with Alexander Glix, the British millionaire for several months, became public. What is known about this 38-year-old businessman?
The man was already married, behind his shoulders a 13-year marriage with Misha Nonu, who is on friendly terms with Meghan Markle. Ex-wife by profession a designer. Alexander is close to the royal court, being a friend of the sons of Prince Charles. Rumor has it that he had previously met his sister Kate Middleton. Maria conquered that Alexander speaks excellent Russian.
Is there only tennis?
Sharapova until 2015 was considered the highest paid tennis player in the world. Her fortune was estimated at 240 million dollars. After the disqualification, the athlete’s income decreased slightly, but she still receives large deductions from advertising, has her own confectionery brand Sugarpova and is actively involved in charity work.