Maria Sharapova

A worldwide-recognized former professional tennis player Maria Sharapova was welcomed in a Russian city Nyagan to her mother Yelena and father Yuri. When she turned 2, the family relocated to Sochi, where a young starlet got passionate about sports.

Maria started playing tennis at the age of just 4 and at 6 moved with dad to America to study at the IMG Academy in Bradenton.

Her debut in the world of sports happened in 2001, aged 14 and unfortunately she lost. However, within a year, she took part in another competition and won a match. The main breakthrough in her path to stardom happened in 2004 when she won Wimbledon. Since 2008 and up till 2009 she wasn’t seen on courts because of shoulder surgery. However, in 2010 she returned to sports and won a number of tournaments, e.g. LA Women’s Tennis Championships, Bank of the West Classic, etc. In 2016 the sportswoman was revealed to have failed a drug test, having tested positive for meldonium. This resulted in her suspension from playing for 15 months. In February 2020 Sharapova announced her retirement from tennis.

Today, the celebrity is busy with her candy line called Shugarpova that is sold in 32 countries of the world. In addition to that she also launched a collection of accessories and in 2017 published an autobiography.

Are you eager to know more? Well, then check these top 5 fascinating facts about Maria’s life:

• She loves Thai and Russian cuisine.
• Her favorite colors are pink and yellow.
• Her current net worth is estimated at around 180 million dollars.
• She had endorsement deals with Nike, Tiffany & Co, Porsche, etc.
• She has a residence in Manhattan Beach, CA.