A teen sensation, Sharapova broke through to the top of the sport by winning the2004 Wimbledon Championships as a 17-year-old, upsetting two-time defending championSerena Williams. She then won the 2004 Tour Finals, and became the world No. 1 for the first time in August 2005 at the age of 18, the first Russian woman to top the singles rankings.[4][5] Continued success over the following years, including titles at the2006 US Open and2008 Australian Open, was accompanied by recurring injuries, and Sharapova dipped in and out of the top 10 around the turn of the decade. After a career-long struggle with success onclay courts, Sharapova claimed the2012 French Open to complete the career Grand Slam, returning to the No. 1 position, and shortly after won an Olympic silver medal inwomen's singles at the2012 London Olympics. She won a second French Open title in2014 for her fifth major championship.
Sharapova failed adrug test at the2016 Australian Open, testing positive formeldonium, a substance that had been banned (effective 1 January 2016) by theWorld Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). On 8 June 2016, she was suspended from playing tennis for two years by theInternational Tennis Federation (ITF).[6][7][8] On 4 October 2016, the suspension was reduced to 15 months, starting from the date of the failed test, as theCourt of Arbitration for Sport found that she had committed "no significant fault" and that she had taken the substance "based on a doctor's recommendation... with good faith belief that it was appropriate and compliant with the relevant rules".[9][10][11] She returned to the WTA Tour in April 2017 at theStuttgart Open. Sharapova retired from the sport in 2020.
Maria Yuryevna Sharapova was born on 19 April 1987, inNyagan, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union. Her parents, Yuri Sharapov and Yelena, are fromGomel, Byelorussian SSR. Concerned about the regional effects of the 1986Chernobyl nuclear accident, they left their hometown shortly before Maria was born.[17][18]
In 1990, when Sharapova was three, the family moved toSochi, Russia. Her father, Yuri, befriended Aleksandr Kafelnikov, whose sonYevgeny would go on to win two Grand Slam singles titles and become Russia's first world No. 1 ranked tennis player. Aleksandr gave Sharapova her first tennis racquet in 1991 when she was four, whereupon she began practicing regularly with her father at a local park.[19] Maria took her first tennis lessons with veteran Russian coach Yuri Yutkin, who was instantly impressed when he saw her play, noting her "exceptionalhand-eye coordination".[20]
In 1993, at the age of six, Sharapova attended a tennis clinic in Moscow run byMartina Navratilova, who recommended professional training withNick Bollettieri at theIMG Academy inBradenton, Florida. Bollettieri had previously trained players such asAndre Agassi,Monica Seles, andAnna Kournikova.[19] With money tight, Yuri Sharapov borrowed the sum that would enable him and his daughter, neither of whom could speak English, to travel to the United States, which they did in 1994.[20] Visa restrictions prevented Sharapova's mother from joining them for two years.[18] Arriving in Florida with savings of US$700,[20] Sharapova's father took various low-paying jobs to fund her lessons until she was old enough to be admitted to the academy. Initially, she trained with Rick Macci. In 1995, however, she was signed byIMG, which agreed to pay the annual tuition fee of $35,000 for Sharapova to stay at the academy, allowing her to finally enroll at the age of 9.[19]
Sharapova first hit tennis fame in November 2000, when she won the Eddie Herr International Junior Tennis Championships in the girls' 16 division at the age of just 13.[21] She was then given a special distinction, the Rising Star Award, awarded to players of exceptional promise.[22] Sharapova made her professional debut in 2001 on her 14th birthday on 19 April, and played her first WTA tournament at thePacific Life Open in 2002, winning a match before losing toMonica Seles. Due to restrictions on how many professional events she could play, Sharapova went to hone her game in junior tournaments, where she reached the finals of the girls' singles events at the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2002. She was the youngest girl ever to reach the final of the Australian Open junior championship at 14 years and 9 months.[23]
Sharapova reached No. 6 in theITF junior world singles ranking on 21 October 2002. In all, she won three junior singles tournaments and was runner-up at five, including two junior Grand Slam events. Her win–loss record in junior competition was 47–9.[24] Her best results in the Junior Grand Slam tournaments were the finals of the2002 Australian Open, finals of the2002 Wimbledon Championships, third round of the2002 French Open, and second round of the2001 US Open.
From 2003, Sharapova played a full season and made a rapid climb into the top 50 by the end of the year.[25] She made her debuts at both theAustralian Open and theFrench Open, but failed to win a match in either. Then, as awildcard atWimbledon, she defeated 11th seedJelena Dokić,[26] her first win over a top-20 player, to reach the fourth round, where she lost in three sets toSvetlana Kuznetsova.By the end of September, Sharapova had already captured her first WTA title at a smaller event, theJapan Open Tennis Championships, before winning her second in her final tournament of the season, theBell Challenge in Quebec City.[27] To cap off her first full season as a professional, she was awarded theWTA Newcomer of the Year honor.[28]
During the spring clay-court season, Sharapova entered the top 20 on the WTA world rankings as a result of reaching the third round of theQatar Telecom German Open and theInternazionali BNL d'Italia, both of which were Tier I events. At the latter event, she defeated a player ranked in the top 10 for the first time with a straight-sets win over world No. 10 and2004 French Open finalistElena Dementieva. Later that clay-court season, she went on to make the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time at theFrench Open, losing there toPaola Suárez.[31]
Sharapova at Wimbledon in 2004
Sharapova won the third title of her career at theWimbledon warm-upDFS Classic, defeatingTatiana Golovin in the final. Seeded 13th and aged 17 at Wimbledon, she reached her first Grand Slam semifinal by defeatingAi Sugiyama. There, she defeated fifth seed and former championLindsay Davenport. In the final, Sharapova upset top seed and defending championSerena Williams to win her first Grand Slam singles title, and become the third-youngest woman to win the Wimbledon title, behind onlyLottie Dod andMartina Hingis. Sharapova also became the second Russian woman (afterAnastasia Myskina had won the year's previous major atRoland Garros) to win a Grand Slam singles title. The victory was hailed by the media as "the most stunning upset in memory",[32] with other writers commenting on her arrival as a serious challenger to theWilliams' dominance at Wimbledon.[33] She entered the top 10 in the rankings for the first time as a result of the win.[34]
Following her Wimbledon win, attention and interest in Sharapova in the media greatly increased, a rise in popularity dubbed "Maria Mania."[35] She won three of six matches in her preparations for theUS Open. At the US Open itself, she reached the third round, before being eliminated byMary Pierce.[36] In order to regain confidence, Sharapova played and won consecutive titles in Asia in the fall, theHansol Korea Open Tennis Championships and theJapan Open Tennis Championships.
In October, Sharapova defeated Venus Williams en route to making the final of a Tier I event for the first time at theZurich Open, losing in the final toAlicia Molik.[37] She then made her debut at the year-endingWTA Tour Championships. There, she won two of her three round-robin matches (including a win over US Open championSvetlana Kuznetsova) in order to advance to the semifinals, where she defeated Myskina. In the final, she defeated an injured Serena Williams, after trailing 4–0 in the final set.[38]
Sharapova started the year at theAustralian Open, where she defeated fifth seedSvetlana Kuznetsova to reach the second Grand Slam semifinal of her career. Sharapova held three match points in the third set of her semifinal match, before losing to eventual champion Serena Williams. In February, Sharapova won back-to-back tournaments, theToray Pan Pacific Open and theQatar Total Open, allowing her to reach number 3 in the world rankings for the first time.
Sharapova made the semifinals of a clay-court tournament for the first time at theItalian Open, where she lost toPatty Schnyder. Sharapova would have become world No. 1 for the first time had she won the tournament.[42] Sharapova then reached the quarterfinals of theFrench Open for the second consecutive year, before losing to eventual champion Henin.[43] On grass, Sharapova won her third title of the year when she successfully defended her title at theDFS Classic, defeatingJelena Janković in the final.[44] As the defending champion atWimbledon, Sharapova reached the semifinals without dropping a set and losing a service game just once, extending her winning streak on grass to 24 matches. However, she was then beaten by eventual championVenus Williams.[45]
Sharapova had far fewer points to defend, and so she became the first Asian and Russian woman to hold the world No. 1 ranking on 22 August 2005.[46][47] Her reign lasted only one week, however, as Davenport reclaimed the top ranking after winning thePilot Pen Tennis tournament.[46]
As the top seed at theUS Open, Sharapova lost in the semifinals toKim Clijsters,[48] meaning she had lost to the eventual champion in every Grand Slam of the season. However, she once again leapfrogged Davenport to take the world No. 1 ranking on 12 September 2005. She retained it for six weeks, but after playing few tournaments while injured, she again relinquished the ranking to Davenport.[46][49]
Sharapova celebrating after winning the2006 US Open
Sharapova started 2006 by losing in the semifinals of theAustralian Open in three sets to Henin,[50] also losing a rematch several weeks later at theDubai Tennis Championships, having defeated former world No. 1Martina Hingis and world No. 3Lindsay Davenport in earlier rounds of the tournament. Sharapova claimed her first title in nine months at the Tier I tournament in Indian Wells, defeating Hingis in the semifinals andElena Dementieva in the final.[51][52] She reached the final inMiami before losing to Kuznetsova.[53]
Sharapova returned for theFrench Open. There, after saving match points in defeatingMashona Washington in the first round, she was eliminated byDinara Safina in the fourth round.[54] On grass, Sharapova was unsuccessful in her attempt to win in Birmingham for the third consecutive year, losing in the semifinals toJamea Jackson.[55] Despite that, she was among the title favorites atWimbledon, where the eventual champion Mauresmo ended up beating her in the semifinals.[56]
Sharapova claimed her second title of the year at the Tier IAcura Classic, defeating Clijsters for the first time in the final.[57] As the third seed at theUS Open, Sharapova defeated top seed Mauresmo for the first time in the semifinals,[58] and then followed up by beating second seed Justine Henin to win her second Grand Slam singles title.[59]
That autumn, Sharapova won titles in back-to-back weeks at theZurich Open and theGenerali Ladies Linz. By winning all three of her round-robin matches at theWTA Tour Championships, she extended her win streak to 19 matches, before it was snapped in the semifinals by eventual champion Henin.[60] Sharapova would have finished the season as world No. 1 had she won the event. As it was, she finished ranked world No. 2, her best year-end finish yet.
2007: Return to No. 1, shoulder injury and fall from the Top 5
Sharapova was the top seed at theAustralian Open due to top-ranked Justine Henin's withdrawal. After being two points away from defeat in the first round againstCamille Pin, she went on to reach the final of the tournament for the first time, but was routed there by Serena Williams who was ranked world No. 81 at the time. After reaching the final, Sharapova recaptured the world No. 1 ranking.[46] She held it for seven weeks, surrendering it back to Henin after failing to defend her title at thePacific Life Open, instead losing in the fourth round toVera Zvonareva after struggling with a hamstring injury.[61] The following fortnight, she defeated Venus Williams in the third round of theSony Ericsson Open,[62] before being beaten again by Serena Williams.[63]
A shoulder injury forced Sharapova to miss most of the clay-court season for the second consecutive year, resulting in her only tune-up for theFrench Open being theİstanbul Cup,[64] where she lost in the semifinals toAravane Rezaï. She reached the semifinals of the French Open for the first time in her career, before losing toAna Ivanovic.[65] On grass, Sharapova was runner-up toJelena Janković at theDFS Classic.[66] Following that, she experienced her earliest Wimbledon loss since 2003 by losing in the fourth round to eventual champion Venus Williams.[67]
Sharapova clinched theUS Open Series by defending her title at theAcura Classic, her only championship of the year, and reaching the semifinals in Los Angeles.[46] In herUS Open title defense, Sharapova was upset in her third-round match by 30th seedAgnieszka Radwańska,[68] making it her earliest exit at a Grand Slam singles tournament since the2004 US Open, where she lost in the same round.[46]
Following the US Open loss, Sharapova did not play again until theKremlin Cup in October, where she lost her opening match toVictoria Azarenka.[69] Shortly after this, she fell out of the top 5 in the world rankings for the first time since 2004. She qualified for the eight-woman year-endSony Ericsson Championships because of a withdrawal by Venus Williams before the start of the tournament.[46] Despite having not previously won a match in two months, Sharapova topped her round-robin group at the tournament, after winning all three of her matches, defeatingSvetlana Kuznetsova, Ana Ivanovic, andDaniela Hantuchová. She then defeatedAnna Chakvetadze in the semifinals.[70] In the final, she lost to world No. 1 Henin in a match that lasted 3 hours and 24 minutes. Sharapova reached the top 5 again to end the year.[71]
2008: Australian Open champion, No. 1 and second shoulder injury
Sharapova was seeded fifth at theAustralian Open, but was not considered a favorite. Nevertheless, she defeated former world No. 1Lindsay Davenport in the second round, and then world No. 1 Henin in the quarterfinals,[72] ending the latter's 32-match winning streak.[73] She proceeded to the finals by defeatingJelena Janković in the semifinals, and defeatedAna Ivanovic in the final to win her third Grand Slam title, having not dropped a set all tournament.
After the Australian Open, Sharapova extended her winning streak to 18 matches. This run encompassed two wins including at the Tier IQatar Open. Her winning streak was ended in the semifinals of thePacific Life Open by Kuznetsova. In April, Sharapova won theBausch & Lomb Championships, having survived her longest-ever match, at 3 hours and 26 minutes long, in the third round againstAnabel Medina Garrigues.[74] The following week, at theFamily Circle Cup, she lost in the quarterfinals toSerena Williams, her fourth consecutive loss to the American.[75]
In May, Sharapova regained the world No. 1 ranking because of Henin's sudden retirement from professional tennis and request to theWTA that her own ranking be removed immediately.[76] As the top-seeded player at theFrench Open, Sharapova was within two points[77] of being knocked out byEvgeniya Rodina in the first round, before eventually winning.[78] As a result of losing to eventual finalist Dinara Safina in the fourth round (after serving for the match),[79] she relinquished her No. 1 ranking.[80] Her dip in form continued atWimbledon, where she lost in the second round to world No. 154Alla Kudryavtseva.[81] This was her earliest loss at Wimbledon, and at any Grand Slam in almost five years.[82]
Sharapova withdrew from theRogers Cup tournament in August following a shoulder injury.[83] AnMRI scan revealed that she had been suffering from arotator cuff tear since April, forcing her out of all tournaments for the rest of the season, including theBeijing Olympics, theUS Open, and theWTA Tour Championships.[84] In spite of that, she still finished the year ranked world No. 9. In October, after a failed attempt to rehabilitate the shoulder, Sharapova had surgery to repair the tear.[85]
2009–2010: Shoulder surgery, rehabilitation, comeback and struggles with form
Sharapova did not attempt to defend herAustralian Open title, as she continued to recover from surgery.[86] She returned to the sport in March, in the doubles tournament at theIndian Wells Open, but she and partnerElena Vesnina lost in the first round. After this, Sharapova withdrew from further singles tournaments, resulting in her standing in the world rankings being severely affected. She dropped out of the top 100 for the first time in six years in May, the nadir being world No. 126.[1]
Sharapova made the quarterfinals of theFrench Open, her best Grand Slam performance of 2009.
Playing her first singles tournament in nearly ten months, Sharapova made the quarterfinals of the clay-courtWarsaw Open in May, losing to finalistAlona Bondarenko.[87] The following week, in her first Grand Slam appearance since her surgery, she reached the quarterfinals of theFrench Open, before her run was ended byDominika Cibulková.[88]
During the summer grass-court season, Sharapova played inBirmingham, losing in the semifinals to Li Na.[89] Sharapova then played atWimbledon as the 24th seed. She was upset in the second round byGisela Dulko in three sets.[90]
The final stretch of the season brought Sharapova her first title of the year inTokyo, after opponentJelena Janković retired after being down 2–5 to Sharapova in the final.[92] By virtue of that result, she was the recipient of a bye at theChina Open, but failed to capitalize on it, losing toPeng Shuai in the third round.[93] She ultimately finished the season at world No. 14, having improved from No. 126 when she started her comeback from injury.[1]
Sharapova during a pre-match practice at the 2010 Bank of the West Classic
After playing two exhibition tournaments in Asia, Sharapova officially began her season at theAustralian Open, where she was upset in her first-round match againstMaria Kirilenko. The loss meant that for the first time since 2003, Sharapova had lost her opening match at a Grand Slam event.[94] She then rebounded by winning a smaller American event, theCellular South Cup, her 21st career WTA title and first of the year.[95]
Returning at theMadrid Open, Sharapova lost in the first round toLucie Šafářová. She continued her French Open preparation at theInternationaux de Strasbourg as a wildcard, advancing to the final, where she beatKristina Barrois. This was her first title on red clay and 22nd overall title.[98] At theFrench Open, Sharapova's brief clay season culminated with a third-round loss to four-time champion Justine Henin.[99]
Sharapova began her preparations for Wimbledon at theAegon Classic. She advanced to the final for the fourth time, where she lost toLi Na. As the 16th seed atWimbledon, Sharapova lost in the fourth round to world No. 1 and eventual champion Serena Williams, despite having three set points in the opening set.[100] The match was seen as another encouraging performance for Sharapova, with some stating their belief that she was approaching the form that would see her contending for Grand Slams once more,[101] and Sharapova herself stating that she felt that she was "in a much better spot than I was last year."[102]
Sharapova's last two tournaments of the season ended in disappointment. She played in thePan Pacific Open in Tokyo, where she was upset in the first round by 39-year-oldKimiko Date-Krumm.[106] Her last tournament of the year was theChina Open, where she lost in the second round to fellow RussianElena Vesnina.[107] She ended the year at number 18 in the world.[108]
It was announced that Sharapova would bring inThomas Högstedt as a coach for the 2011 season, joiningMichael Joyce.[109] On 5 December, Sharapova won an exhibition match against world No. 2Vera Zvonareva in Monterrey, Mexico.[110] In Sharapova's first official Australian Open warm-up tournament at theAuckland Open, she was top-seeded. She lost to the Hungarian veteran and eventual champion,Gréta Arn, in the quarterfinals. After that, Sharapova decided to split up with Joyce, ending a successful cooperation that brought her two Grand Slam victories and the world No. 1 ranking.[111]
Sharapova participated in the first Grand Slam of the season at theAustralian Open, where she was the 14th seed, but lost toAndrea Petkovic in the fourth round.[112] She also had to pull out of the Dubai Championships and the Qatar Open because of an ear infection.[113] Sharapova returned to the tour in March by taking part in the2011 BNP Paribas Open, where she was seeded 16th. She defeated former world No. 1, Dinara Safina, in the fourth round en route to the semifinal, where she lost to world No. 1, Caroline Wozniacki.[114] AtKey Biscayne, Sharapova defeated 26th seedAlexandra Dulgheru in the quarterfinals, in a match lasting 3 hours and 28 minutes.[115] In the semifinals, Sharapova took herAustralian Open reprisal onAndrea Petkovic by defeating her. In the final, she was defeated byVictoria Azarenka, despite a late comeback in the second set.[116] With this result, Sharapova returned to the top 10 for the first time since February 2009.[1]
During the clay-court season, Sharapova participated in theMadrid Open, where she lost toDominika Cibulková in the third round, and theItalian Open, where she was seeded seventh. She defeated top seed Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals and sixth seed Samantha Stosur in the final to take home the title, marking her biggest clay-court victory to date.[117] At the2011 French Open, Sharapova was seeded seventh. She defeated French wildcardCaroline Garcia in the second round, despite trailing 3–6, 1–4, before winning the last 11 games of the match. In the quarterfinals, she defeated 15th seed Andrea Petkovic, marking her first Grand Slam semifinal since her comeback from the career-threatening shoulder injury. She then lost to sixth seed and eventual champion,Li Na, in the semifinals, ending her clay season with a win–loss record of 12–2.[118]
At theWimbledon Championships, Sharapova had not dropped a set entering the final, before losing to eighth seedPetra Kvitová, in straight sets.[119] This marked her first final in over three years at a Grand Slam event. Sharapova started her summer hard-court season at theBank of the West Classic inStanford, California. In a highly anticipated match, Sharapova lost to the eventual champion Serena Williams in the quarterfinals.[120] In her next event at theRogers Cup in Toronto, Sharapova lost toGalina Voskoboeva in the third round, marking her 100th career loss.[121]
Sharapova then contested theCincinnati Open. As the fourth seed, she received a bye into the second round. On the way to her fourth final of the year, she beatAnastasia Rodionova,[122] 14th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova,[123] tenth seed Samantha Stosur,[124] and 2nd seed Vera Zvonareva.[125] In the final, she defeated fellow former world No. 1Jelena Janković, in 2 hours and 49 minutes, making it the longest WTA tour final of the year.[126] She subsequently moved up to world No. 4, her highest ranking since August 2008 and the highest since her comeback from her shoulder injury.[127]
Sharapova entered theUS Open, where she was seeded third. She beatHeather Watson, andAnastasiya Yakimova, to reach the third round. She was then upset byFlavia Pennetta. However, because of the fall of Kim Clijsters and Vera Zvonareva in the rankings, Sharapova climbed to world No. 2.[128] Sharapova's next tournament was thePan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Japan.[129] As second seed, she received a bye into the second round, where she beatTamarine Tanasugarn. She then beat 13th seedJulia Görges, before retiring against Petra Kvitová in the quarterfinal, 3–4, after slipping on the baseline, suffering an ankle injury. This also forced her to withdraw from theChina Open the following week. Sharapova then flew to Istanbul to prepare for the2011 WTA Tour Championships, her first time qualifying since 2007. During the WTA Tour Championships, Sharapova withdrew during the round-robin stage after defeats against Samantha Stosur and Li Na, as a result of the ankle injury she had suffered in Tokyo.[130] Sharapova ended the year as No. 4 in the world, her first top-10 finish since 2008 and first top-5 finish since 2007.
2012: Career Grand Slam, back to No. 1 and Olympic silver
Sharapova completed the Career Grand Slam after winning the 2012 French Open
Sharapova withdrew from the2012 Brisbane International because of her ongoing ankle injury.[131] Her first tournament of the season was the2012 Australian Open, where she was seeded fourth. Sharapova advanced to the final, defeatingGisela Dulko,Jamie Hampton, 30th seedAngelique Kerber, 14th seedSabine Lisicki, compatriotEkaterina Makarova and world No. 2,Petra Kvitová. In a match that decided who would become the new world No. 1, she lost to Victoria Azarenka, in straight sets. As a result, her ranking improved to world No. 3 behind Azarenka and Kvitová. She then played in theOpen GDF Suez in Paris, where she lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Angelique Kerber. As a result, her ranking improved to world No. 2.
At theIndian Wells Open, after battling for over three hours, Sharapova defeated compatriot Maria Kirilenko to set up a semifinal meeting with Ana Ivanovic. Sharapova advanced to the final after Ivanovic retired due to a hip injury.[132] In the final, she played world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka in a rematch of the Australian Open final, but lost again in straight sets. Sharapova's next tournament was the2012 Sony Ericsson Open, where she was seeded 2nd and received a bye. In the final, Sharapova lost in straight sets to fifth seed Agnieszka Radwańska. This was her third loss of the year in finals out of four tournaments played so far. In thePorsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Sharapova was seeded second. She had a bye in the first round, and advanced to the third round afterAlizé Cornet retired in the second set. She won her first title of the year in Stuttgart after defeating world number one Victoria Azarenka. In doing so, Sharapova defeated three current Grand Slam title holders to win the tournament. Sharapova then played theMadrid Open, a Premier Mandatory event. In the third round, Sharapova's opponentLucie Šafářová was unable to compete and withdrew from the tournament, earning Sharapova a walkover into the quarterfinals.[133] She was then beaten by eventual champion Serena Williams, in straight sets.
As the defending champion and second seed at theItalian Open, Sharapova had a bye in the first round. In the semifinals, Sharapova defeated Angelique Kerber to advance to the final for the second year in a row. In the final, Sharapova saved match point for a 2-hour 52-minute win over Li Na for her 26th career title.[134] This marked the fourth time Sharapova had successfully defended a title.
Sharapova at the 2012 Summer Olympics, July 2012
Sharapova was seeded second at theFrench Open, where she defeatedAlexandra Cadanțu,Ayumi Morita, 28th seedPeng Shuai,Klára Koukalová,Kaia Kanepi and Petra Kvitová on her way to the finals, allowing her to regain the world No. 1 ranking. In the final, she defeatedSara Errani for her fourth career Grand Slam title (her first since 2008) and her first French Open title. Sharapova became only the tenth woman to complete a Career Grand Slam with the French Open victory.[135] During the tournament, Sharapova was asked by theRussian Olympic Committee to bear the flag at the opening ceremony for the2012 Summer Olympics,[136] becoming the firstfemale Russian athlete to receive this honor.
Sharapova decided not to compete in any of the grass-court warm-up events and instead proceeded straight to theWimbledon Championships, where she was the top seed at a major event for the first time since the2008 French Open. She breezed through her first three matches overAnastasia Rodionova,Tsvetana Pironkova and the craftyHsieh Su-wei, extended her winning streak to 15 matches. However, she was upset in the fourth round in straight sets by the 15th-seededSabine Lisicki, whom she beat in the previous year's semifinals. Due to being unable to defend her finalist points from the year before, she relinquished the world No. 1 ranking back to Azarenka.
She made her Olympic debut at the2012 Summer Olympics in London and was seeded third in the singles draw.[137] She easily beatShahar Pe'er and hometown favoriteLaura Robson in straight sets, before avenging her defeat against Lisicki four weeks prior by beating the German in the third round in a tight three-set match. In the quarterfinals, Sharapova defeated fellow former No. 1, Kim Clijsters, to advance to the semifinals, where she faced her compatriot, Maria Kirilenko. Sharapova defeated Kirilenko to reach the Olympic final and guarantee a medal. Facing off against rival Serena Williams, with both players looking for their first Olympic singles gold medal (and a chance to complete a career Golden Slam), Sharapova was thrashed by Williams[138] in what was to be her worst defeat to the American, winning only a single game. Nonetheless, with this performance, Sharapova won an Olympic silver medal and overtook Agnieszka Radwańska as world No. 2.
Sharapova did not compete in any of the summer hard-court warm-up events after the Olympics,[139] pulling out of bothMontreal andCincinnati (where she was the defending champion) due to a stomach virus. Seeded third at theUS Open, Sharapova breezed through her first three matches againstMelinda Czink,Lourdes Domínguez Lino, andMallory Burdette, losing a total of just seven games. In the fourth round, compatriot Nadia Petrova took it to a third set and was winning until a rain delay. After the delay, Sharapova came back to win, advancing to the quarterfinals of the US Open for the first time since she won the tournament in 2006. In the quarterfinals, she faced 11th seedMarion Bartoli, who was 4–0 up before a rain delay, which delayed the match a whole day. Sharapova then came back from a set down to win.[140] In the semifinals, Sharapova lost to world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka despite winning the first set.
Sharapova's next tournament was thePan Pacific Open in Tokyo. She made it to the quarterfinals, losing toSamantha Stosur.[141] At theChina Open she was seeded second. In the finals she was again defeated by Azarenka.[142] Sharapova's next tournament was theyear-end championships in Istanbul, where she was seededsecond. She defeated Sara Errani, Agnieszka Radwańska, and Samantha Stosur in the round-robin matches. In the semifinals, Sharapova beat Azarenka, bringing their head-to-head meetings to 7–5 in Azarenka's favour. Although Sharapova made it to the final, Azarenka clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking with her two round-robin wins. She lost to Serena Williams for the 9th consecutive time in the final and the third time that year, notching her best score line in three matchups with a 4–6, 3–6 defeat.[143]
Sharapova's first scheduled tournament of the2013 season was theBrisbane International, where she was seeded second. However, she withdrew from the tournament before it began, citing a collarbone injury.[144] She started her season at theAustralian Open seeded second. She defeatedOlga Puchkova andMisaki Doi in the first two rounds without losing a game in either match, the first time a player won in back-to-backdouble bagels at a Grand Slam tournament since the1985 Australian Open.[145] Sharapova then defeated Venus Williams,Kirsten Flipkens, and Ekaterina Makarova, where in losing nine games, she overtookMonica Seles' record of fewest games dropped heading into a Grand Slam semifinal.[146] She lost toLi Na in the semifinals.
Sharapova at the French Open, May 2013
She reached the semifinals at the Qatar Open, losing to Serena Williams for the 10th straight time in her career.[147] Her next tournament wasIndian Wells, where she was seeded second. She received a bye into the second round and successfully reached the final without dropping a set, where she faced 2011 Indian wells champion and former world No. 1, Caroline Wozniacki. After an hour and twenty-one minutes, Sharapova won the tournament.[148] This was Sharapova's 28th career title and second at Indian Wells. Her win also made her the No. 2 player in the world behind Serena Williams.[149][150][151]
Sharapova then competed at theSony Open. Once again she reached the final without dropping a set and faced world No. 1, Serena Williams. Maria won the first set. However, Serena won the second and dominated the third set. This was Maria's 11th consecutive loss against Serena.[152][153]
Next, she played at the indoor clay event in Stuttgart, where she was the defending champion. Her first three matches were long three-setters: she first beat world No. 25, Lucie Šafářová, dropping the second set on a tiebreak, then Ana Ivanovic, then in the semifinals, she won against third seedAngelique Kerber. In the final, in what was her ninth victory against the Chinese out of 14 matches, she beat second seed world No. 5Li Na in straight sets to win her 29th career title.[154]
A week later, she competed at theMadrid Open, reaching the final, again without dropping a set. She faced Serena Williams for the 15th time, losing for the 12th consecutive time in straight sets.[155]
Next, she played in Rome, where she was seeded second and had a bye in the first round. She beat 16th seedSloane Stephens in straight sets (with the loss of three games) in the third round, but then did not play her quarterfinal match against seventh seed Sara Errani and retired from the tournament due to a viral illness.[156][157]
At theFrench Open, Sharapova reached the final again, beating Azarenka in three sets in the semifinals, but there she lost in straight sets to Serena Williams. AtWimbledon she was comprehensively beaten in the second round by qualifierMichelle Larcher de Brito. Sharapova then returned to the tour at theWestern & Southern Open, where she lost her opening match to Sloane Stephens in three sets. A week later Sharapova withdrew from the US Open, citing a shoulder injury, which prematurely ended her season.[158]
Sharapova had not played since August 2013 due to a recurring shoulder injury and made her comeback at theBrisbane International.[159] She advanced to the semifinals where she was beaten in straight sets by Serena Williams. At theAustralian Open, Sharapova, ranked third, was knocked out of the tournament in the fourth round by the 20th seed, and eventual finalist,Dominika Cibulková. Sharapova lost the match in three sets. She then participated inOpen GdF Suez where she was upset in the semifinals to fellow Russian and eventual tournament winnerAnastasia Pavlyuchenkova, in three sets.
In March, playing in theIndian Wells Open, she was beaten by 22-year-old ItalianCamila Giorgi in the third round, in three sets.[160] This dropped her ranking to world No. 7. She reached the semifinals in Miami, facing Serena Williams in a rematch of last year's final and lost her 15th consecutive match to Williams. In April, she won theStuttgart Open, her first title of the year and 30th of her career by defeating Ana Ivanovic in three sets. Stuttgart is the only tournament Sharapova won three times. In May, Sharapova won theMadrid Open, her second title of the year and first in Madrid, defeatingSimona Halep in three sets. With nine clay titles, she joined Venus Williams as the third most successful active player on the surface.[161] Sharapova then competed in theItalian Open in Rome, where she made the third round. She lost to Ana Ivanovic in straight sets.
Sharapova serving at the 2014 US Open
Sharapova was seeded seventh at the French Open and defeated Ksenia Pervak, Tsvetana Pironkova, and Paula Ormaechea in the first three rounds, all in straight sets. In the fourth round, she defeated Samantha Stosur, reeling off nine straight games from a set and 3–4 down. This marked her 14th win in 16 meetings with the Australian. In the quarterfinals, she defeatedGarbiñe Muguruza, again coming back from a set down, to reach the semifinals at the French for the fourth consecutive year. In the semifinals, she defeatedEugenie Bouchard, once again coming back from a set down, to reach her third consecutive French Open final. In the final, she defeatedSimona Halep in three sets to win her second French Open title and fifth overall Major title. This was the first time since 2001 that a third set was contested in the final. The match took just over three hours and has been described as one of the best women's finals in recent years.[162] AtWimbledon, Sharapova reached the fourth round, where she lost to Angelique Kerber, the ninth seed, in three sets.
Sharapova then played theRogers Cup inMontreal where she was the fourth seed. She received a first round bye and faced Garbiñe Muguruza in her opener, she won in three sets. In the following round she lost in three sets to Muguruza's compatriot,Carla Suárez Navarro. At theWestern & Southern Open, Sharapova was seeded fifth and defeatedMadison Keys after having a first round bye. She then went on to defeat Pavlyuchenkova and newly crowned world No. 2, Simona Halep, to reach the last four. She faced Ivanovic again but lost in a roller coaster three-setter despite having two match points. Sharapova then travelled to New York for theUS Open where she was the 5th seed. She defeated compatriotMaria Kirilenko and RomanianAlexandra Dulgheru before overcoming 26th seeded GermanSabine Lisicki in round 3 to set up a clash with Caroline Wozniacki in the round of 16. Sharapova lost to Wozniacki in three sets.
Sharapova next played the inauguralWuhan Open where she was seeded fourth. After receiving a first-round bye, she defeated compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova in three sets and next facedTimea Bacsinszky. Although Sharapova won their two previous encounters, she was stunned by Timea in two tight sets, thus ending her campaign at the Premier-5 tournament.
The following week, Sharapova played theChina Open in Beijing, a Premier Mandatory-level tournament. Reaching the final without dropping a set, Sharapova defeated world No. 9 Ana Ivanovic in the semifinals. In the final, Sharapova met reigning Wimbledon champion and world No. 3, Petra Kvitová. Sharapova won the match in 2 hours 30 minutes, defeating the Czech in three sets. By virtue of the win, Sharapova's ranking rose from No. 4 to No. 2 in the world and she secured herself the second seeding for the WTA year-end Championship. Sharapova closed in on the year-end number-one ranking spot, 467 points behind Williams.
Sharapova was ranked No. 2 heading into the WTA Tour Championships, with a chance of overtaking Serena Williams as world No. 1. She was drawn in the white group, with Kvitová, Radwańska, and Wozniacki. Her first match was a three set loss to Wozniacki. Sharapova also lost her second round robin match to Kvitová in straight sets. She ended the year with a win against Radwańska in three sets, finishing third overall in the White Group. She ended the year as world No. 2, behind Serena Williams.
Sharapova kicked off her 2015 season at the Brisbane International where she was top seed and received a bye in the first round. Sharapova defeatedYaroslava Shvedova and Carla Suárez Navarro. In the semifinals, Sharapova facedElina Svitolina, beating her in straight sets. Reaching the final without dropping a set, Sharapova played an intense match against second seed Ana Ivanovic but came through in three sets. This was Sharapova's tenth win over Ivanovic and by winning her 34th title, it meant that Sharapova had won at least one title every year for 13 consecutive years. Also, it was just her second title in Australia so far, beating Ivanovic both times. Sharapova's next tournament was theAustralian Open, where she beatPetra Martić and fellow countrywomanAlexandra Panova (despite having two match points against her) in the first two rounds, before beatingZarina Diyas andPeng Shuai in straight sets. There, she beat seventh-seeded Eugenie Bouchard and Ekaterina Makarova, in straight sets, to make her fourth Australian Open final, where she lost to Serena Williams in straight sets, worsening her record against her to 2–17. In February, following her participation in theFed Cup, Sharapova played inAcapulco, where she beatShelby Rogers,Mariana Duque Mariño andMagdaléna Rybáriková to advance the semifinals. Sharapova later withdrew from her match againstCaroline Garcia, citing a stomach virus. Next, inIndian Wells, she beatYanina Wickmayer and Victoria Azarenka in straight sets, before losing to defending championFlavia Pennetta in the fourth round in three sets. After receiving a bye in the first round of theMiami Open, Sharapova lost in the second round to fellow RussianDaria Gavrilova in straight sets, marking her earliest exit from the tournament since her first appearance in Miami in 2003.
Sharapova at the 2011 Italian Open where she won the title for third time
Sharapova began her clay season inStuttgart where she was the three-time defending champion. After receiving a first-round bye, she lost in the second round to Angelique Kerber in three sets, snapping Sharapova's win streak at the tournament and marking her first-ever loss at the tournament, having won it three times in a row (2012,2013, &2014). The loss also snapped a 64 match win streak on clay where Sharapova won the first set and went on to win the match. The last time Sharapova lost a match on clay, after winning the first set was against Dinara Safina in the fourth round at the2008 French Open. As a result of the loss, Sharapova lost the No. 2 ranking to Simona Halep. Sharapova's next clay court tournament was the Madrid Open, where she was the defending champion. She advanced to the semifinals. There, she was beaten by Svetlana Kuznetsova for the first time since 2008. Sharapova's next tournament was the Italian Open in Rome where she was seeded third. She beat Victoria Azarenka in the quarterfinals in straight sets to set up a rematch withDaria Gavrilova. She beat Gavrilova in straight sets to advance to the final, where she faced Carla Suárez Navarro. After losing the first set, Sharapova managed to claim the next two sets and her thirdRome title. By winning Rome, Sharapova temporarily reclaimed the No. 2 ranking over Halep. Sharapova was seeded fourth atWimbledon and reached the semifinals, where she lost to Serena Williams (the eventual champion) in straight sets. After Wimbledon, she withdrew from theUS Open, citing a knee injury.[163] This caused her to lose the No. 2 ranking to Halep again.
She then received a wildcard intoWuhan Open[164] and received a bye into the second round. However, she retired in her match againstBarbora Strýcová in the 3rd set, citing a left forearm injury.[165] She then withdrew from theChina Open,[166] where she was the defending champion, to recover in time for theWTA Finals and theFed Cup final. At theWTA Finals, she was drawn into the red group, alongside Simona Halep, Agnieszka Radwańska, and Flavia Pennetta. She then won all three of her round-robin matches and achieved 1st position in her group. Her win over Pennetta also marked the last match of the Italian's career. Sharapova then played the player who finished 2nd in the White Group, Petra Kvitová. She lost the match in straight sets, despite having a 5–1 lead in the second set.
Sharapova then played in theFed Cup final, winning both of her matches, againstKarolína Plíšková and got revenge against Petra Kvitová for her loss in the WTA Finals. However,Russia eventually lost 2–3 after falling in a crucial doubles rubber. The Russian ended the season as the world No. 4, despite not playing the US Open Series and missing most of the Fall Asian Hardcourt season. She had a win–loss record of 39–9 and won two titles, reaching the second week in all of the Grand Slams she played.
Sharapova began her 2016 season at theBrisbane International where she was the defending champion. She would have faced Ekaterina Makarova in the first round, but withdrew hours before the match, citing a left forearm injury, and was replaced byMargarita Gasparyan.[167]
Sharapova at the 2016 Australian Open, her last Grand Slam appearance before the suspension
Due to Agnieszka Radwańska winning the Shenzhen Open, Sharapova was seeded fifth at theAustralian Open. She was drawn to faceNao Hibino in the first round and won in straight sets. She then won her second round match againstAliaksandra Sasnovich, also in straight sets. Sharapova then lost her first set in the tournament as she defeatedLauren Davis, in three sets. In the fourth round, she then played her first career match againstBelinda Bencic and won in two tight sets over two hours of play. Sharapova then faced Serena Williams in the quarterfinal, a repeat of the previous year's final. Although she started the match brightly, she was defeated in straight sets. She failed to defend her finalist points from the previous year and fell to sixth in the rankings after the tournament.
After the Australian Open, Sharapova was nominated by team captainAnastasia Myskina to play theFed Cup, but she had a forearm injury and was only listed for the doubles match.[168] Russia lost the first three matches and chose Makarova to replace Sharapova for the dead doubles match. In the end, Russia lost 3–1 but by being nominated for the match, Sharapova successfully qualified for theSummer Olympics having played sufficient Fed Cup matches to meet the criteria.
Citing the left forearm injury sustained at the start of the year, Sharapova withdrew from theQatar Open,[169] and a week before theBNP Paribas Open, she withdrew from that for the same reason.[170]
Following a failed drug test from the2016 Australian Open, in which she tested positive formeldonium, a substance that had been banned, effective 1 January 2016, by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Sharapova was provisionally suspended from competitive tennis with effect from 12 March.[171] On 8 June she was banned for two years by the International Tennis Federation.[172] Russian sports ministerVitaly Mutko has implied that Sharapova was targeted due to the political crisis in Russian-American relations.[173] In October 2016, Sharapova's ban was reduced from 24 months (2 years) to 15 months, starting from 26 January 2016, the date of the drug test she had failed.
2017: Return from suspension, first WTA title in two years
Sharapova returned to the WTA Tour in April 2017. She was given wildcards to compete in the following three WTA tournaments:Women's Stuttgart Open,Madrid Open andItalian Open. She played her first match of her comeback on 26 April at thePorsche Grand Prix, a tournament that she had previously won on three occasions. Her first-round opponent was ItalianRoberta Vinci, who she went on to defeat in straight sets to advance to the second round, making it her first victory since her return.[174] In her on-court interview Sharapova said, "The first few seconds before you enter the arena – it's been a stage of mine since I was a young girl – I've been waiting for this moment for a long time."[174] She followed it up with another straight sets victory over Ekaterina Makarova in the second round. In the quarterfinals, she defeated qualifierAnett Kontaveit in straight sets, before losing toKristina Mladenovic in the semifinals.
Sharapova then took part in theMadrid Open where she beatMirjana Lučić-Baroni in three sets. Sharapova played a second round encounter with Eugenie Bouchard which after three sets Sharapova lost.[175] In the2017 Internazionali BNL d'Italia opening match she defeatedChristina McHale in straight sets. In her next match, she again faced the 16th seed Mirjana Lučić-Baroni in a rematch of their encounter in Madrid. At one set apiece, Sharapova needed a medical timeout for her thigh, which ultimately forced her to retire in the third set.[176] Just before the players came on court, French Federation president Bernard Giudicelli announced that Sharapova would not be receiving a wildcard in the main draw or the qualifying draw, preventing her from playing in the2017 French Open.[177]
Sharapova then received a wildcard to playBirmingham Classic. However, the same thigh injury at theItalian Open forced her to withdraw from the entire grass season, including the Wimbledon qualifying rounds. Sharapova was given another wildcard at theStanford Classic, her first hard court tournament since the2016 Australian Open. Her first round opponent wasJennifer Brady, whom she defeated in three sets. The win also pushed Sharapova back inside the top 150. Sharapova withdrew from the next round with a left arm injury. She was set to make a return at theCanadian Open, where she had received a wildcard, but ultimately withdrew due to a left arm injury. She was set to play theCincinnati Open as a wildcard but pulled out to be fully fit for theUS Open, which had also granted Sharapova a wildcard entry. She opened the US Open against world No. 2, Simona Halep, and won in three sets, her first US Open win since the2014 US Open. In the second round she defeatedTímea Babos, coming from a set down to win in three. In the third round, she played the American wildcardSofia Kenin, an 18-year-old who was making her first main draw appearance in a major. Sharapova defeated the teenager in tight straight sets to advance to the second week of theUS Open. She was defeated by 16th seedAnastasija Sevastova in the fourth round.
Sharapova received and accepted wildcards to enter theChina Open andTianjin Open, both held in China. In her opening match at the China Open, Sharapova once again faced Sevastova, this time prevailing in a three-hour, three-set match. In the second round, Sharapova defeated Ekaterina Makarova, seeing her move back into the top 100 for the first time since before her suspension. In the third round, Sharapova lost to Simona Halep in straight sets, marking her first loss to the Romanian after seven consecutive victories. Sharapova then remained in China for the Tianjin Open, which was her first appearance at the tournament. Sharapova went on to win the tournament, marking her first WTA title since 2015, without dropping a set, including coming back from 1–4 down in the first set and 1–5 down in the second set against 19-year-oldAryna Sabalenka in the final. The result saw her eventually climb the rankings into the top 60, and she later received another wildcard to enter theKremlin Cup. Sharapova recorded her first opening round loss since 2013, with a straight-sets loss to eighth seedMagdaléna Rybáriková.[178]
2018: Return to top 25 and French Open quarterfinal
Sharapova started her clay court season at thePorsche Tennis Grand Prix. Sharapova faced sixth seedCaroline Garcia in the opening round but lost in three tight sets. This was her fourth consecutive loss, marking her fall out of the top 50. Sharapova ended her losing streak with a straight sets win overMihaela Buzărnescu at theMadrid Open.[183] Sharapova defeatedIrina-Camelia Begu,[184] and Kristina Mladenovic in straight sets to advance to quarterfinals.[185] Sharapova fell toKiki Bertens in three sets, despite the loss, she climbed back inside the top 40. Sharapova began herItalian Open campaign with a three set win over 16th seedAshleigh Barty. In the second round, Sharapova defeated Dominika Cibulková in three sets,[186] following it up with a straight sets victory overDaria Gavrilova in the third round. From a set down, she went on to defeat world No. 5Jeļena Ostapenko in the quarterfinals. Despite taking the opening set in the semifinals, Sharapova's run in Rome ended with a three set loss to world No. 1, Simona Halep. Despite the loss, her performance improved her ranking inside the top 30 and being seeded for the first time since her suspension at the2016 Australian Open. Sharapova began her2018 French Open campaign with a three set win overRichèl Hogenkamp and continued with a straight set win over Croatia'sDonna Vekić in the second round. In the third round, she defeated world No. 6,Karolína Plíšková in straight sets to advance to the second week of the French Open. In the fourth round, Sharapova was set to play Serena Williams, but Williams withdrew due to injury, giving Sharapova a walkover into her first Grand Slam quarterfinal since the2016 Australian Open. Sharapova's run ended with a straight sets loss to world No. 3 Garbiñe Muguruza in the quarterfinals.
Sharapova was set to play theBirmingham Classic but withdrew to fully recover ahead ofWimbledon. Sharapova played two exhibition matches, losing her debut to Greece'sMaria Sakkari but defeatingNatalia Vikhlyantseva. Sharapova exited Wimbledon with a three set lost toVitalia Diatchenko despite being up a set and serving for the match. This marked her worst Grand Slam result since the2010 Australian Open and her first ever opening round loss at Wimbledon. Sharapova was set to play at theSilicon Valley Classic but withdrew due to a change in her schedule. Sharapova played at theRogers Cup and recorded straight sets wins overSesil Karatantcheva andDaria Kasatkina. Sharapova fell in the third round with a straight sets loss to world No. 6, Caroline Garcia. Sharapova was set to play at theWestern & Southern Open but withdrew before the tournament started. Sharapova began herUS Open campaign in the opening round, with a straight set win overPatty Schnyder. Sharapova continued her run with straight set wins overSorana Cîrstea and Jeļena Ostapenko. In the fourth round, Sharapova's run ended with a straight sets loss to Carla Suárez Navarro. This marked the first time Sharapova had lost in the night session atArthur Ashe Stadium, previously having a 22–0 record. Sharapova ended her season with withdraws at the China Open, Tianjin Open and Kremlin Cup with a right shoulder injury. Sharapova ended the season ranked 29.
Sharapova began her 2019 season at theShenzhen Open. In the opening round, she defeated Timea Bacsinszky in straight sets which was also her 800th career singles match. In the second round, Sharapova defeatedWang Xinyu after Wang retired in the second set. In the quarterfinals, Sharapova lost toAryna Sabalenka after she retired in the second set. Sharapova started herAustralian Open campaign without the loss of a game in a win overHarriet Dart. Sharapova followed up with a straight set win overRebecca Peterson and a three set victory over defending champion Caroline Wozniacki. Sharapova's run ended with a three set loss toAshleigh Barty in the fourth round. Sharapova recorded her first win in Russia in thirteen years with a straight sets win overDaria Gavrilova at the2019 St. Petersburg Ladies' Trophy. Sharapova withdrew from her second round match againstDaria Kasatkina. Sharapova was set to play at theIndian Wells Open andMiami Open but withdrew before the tournaments started due to a shoulder injury for which she stated she was to have minor surgery to repair a fraying tendon and a labrum tear.[187] Sharapova later withdrew from thePorsche Tennis Grand Prix,Madrid Open,Italian Open andFrench Open due to not being able to compete at her highest level because of her lingering shoulder injury.
Sharapova made a return after being away for over four months, in the grasscourt season at theMallorca Open where she received a wild card. In the opening round, Sharapova defeatedViktória Kužmová in straight sets and recorded her first grasscourt win since 2015. Sharapova's run ended in the second round with a straight sets lost toAngelique Kerber.[188] In the opening round atWimbledon, Sharapova retired in the third set againstPauline Parmentier, despite being up a set and a break during the second set. Sharapova lost in the opening round of theRogers Cup toAnett Kontaveit in three sets. Sharapova ended her three match losing streak with a straight sets win overAlison Riske in the opening round of theWestern & Southern Open. In the second round, Sharapova was defeated by Ashleigh Barty in straight sets. Sharapova fell in the opening round of theUS Open to eventual finalist Serena Williams in straight sets, it was also her final match of the year. She ended the year ranked No. 131, her lowest year-end ranking since 2002.
Sharapova began her 2020 season at an exhibition tournament inAbu Dhabi, where she defeatedAjla Tomljanović in straight sets.[189] Although she was scheduled to play exhibition at theHawaii Open a week later, she pulled out of the tournament because she was unprepared.[190] Sharapova received a wildcard at theBrisbane International and fell in the opening round toJennifer Brady in three sets. Sharapova participated at theKooyong Classic, where her opening match againstLaura Siegemund was stopped after the second set due to heavy smoke from wildfires, before being defeated by Tomljanović in the second round. As a wildcard at the2020 Australian Open, Sharapova was defeated in straight sets byDonna Vekić in the first round. This marked her third consecutive first-round loss at a Grand Slam tournament and, following the tournament, her ranking fell to no. 369, her lowest ranking since August 2002.[191]
That defeat to Vekic in Melbourne would prove to be Sharapova's final match of her career, as on 26 February 2020, Sharapova announced her retirement from tennis. In an essay inVanity Fair andVogue, Sharapova wrote: "I'm new to this, so please forgive me. Tennis – I'm saying goodbye. But as I embark on my next chapter, I want anyone who dreams of excelling in anything to know that doubt and judgement are inevitable. You will fail hundreds of times and the world will watch you. Accept it. Trust yourself. I promise you that you will prevail."[192][193]
On 7 March 2016, Sharapova revealed that she had failed adrug test at the2016 Australian Open, which she described as the result of an oversight.[194] Sharapova admitted to testing positive formeldonium, ananti-ischemic drug usually prescribed for heart conditions that was added to theWorld Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)'s banned substances list on 1 January 2016.[195] Sharapova was provisionally suspended by theInternational Tennis Federation (ITF) from playing tennis effective from 12 March 2016. She later released a statement regarding the test and explaining her use of the medicine:
I received a letter from the ITF that I failed a drugs test at the Australian Open. I take full responsibility for it. For the past ten years I have been given a medicine called mildronate by my family doctor and a few days ago after I received the ITF letter I found out that it also has another name of meldonium which I did not know. It is very important for you to understand that for ten years this medicine was not on WADA's banned list and I had legally been taking the medicine for the past ten years. But on January 1st [2016] the rules had changed and meldonium became a prohibited substance which I had not known. I was given this medicine by my doctor for several health issues that I was having in 2006.[196]
Meldonium is not approved for use in the United States, Sharapova's country of residence;[197] however, it is legal to use in Russia, the country that Sharapova represents in tennis.[198] The drug's inventorIvars Kalviņš said that he did not think taking it should be construed as "doping",[197] but he also said that it "is very popular among athletes" and was used by the Soviet military for "optimizing the use of oxygen" and that it "allows athletes to train under maximum strain".[197]Don Catlin, a long-time anti-doping expert and the scientific director of the Banned Substances Control Group (BSCG) stated that "There's really no evidence that there's any performance enhancement from meldonium – Zero percent."[199][200]
Sharapova said that she had been taking the drug to treat magnesium deficiency, an irregular EKG and family history of diabetes,[201] and indicated that she had not read an email informing her that meldonium had been banned for use in tennis. Meldonium's addition was outlined on a WADA andUnited States Anti-Doping Agency summary document[202][203] and it has been reported that all tennis players were warned five times that it was due to be banned.[204] On 11 March 2016, Sharapova denied reports about the five missed warnings viaFacebook:
That's a distortion of the actual "communications" which were provided or simply posted onto a webpage. I make no excuses for not knowing about the ban. The other "communications"? They were buried in newsletters, websites, or handouts (many of them technical, in small print). I didn't take the medicine every day. I took it the way my doctor recommended I take it and I took it in the low doses recommended. I'm proud of how I have played the game. I have been honest and upfront. I won't pretend to be injured so I can hide the truth about my testing.[205][206]
Most fellow tennis players reacted to Sharapova's announcement with little support or sympathy.[207][208]John McEnroe andPat Cash said they found it hard to believe her.[209][210]Jennifer Capriati posted onTwitter that she should be stripped of her professional titles.[211]Chris Evert expressed her surprise at the lack of support in tennis for Sharapova, noting that she "[had] always isolated herself from the rest of the tennis world, from the players".[212] Serena Williams expressed surprise at Sharapova's announcement but commended her for being "upfront with what she had done".[213]Roger Federer,Rafael Nadal andAndy Murray all publicly condemned Sharapova and argued that she deserved to be punished on the basis that she failed the doping test,[214][215] with Murray adding that "Taking a drug you don't necessarily need because it's legal is wrong"[216] and Federer stating that "Whether it's intentional or not, I don't see too much difference. You must be 100 percent about what you are taking".[217] Sharapova's case prompted Federer to urge the tennis federation to conduct more anti-doping tests.[218]Novak Djokovic said that he felt sorry for her, but that she must still be ready for punishment.[219] TheRussian Tennis Federation strongly defended Sharapova, describing the positive drug test as "nonsense" and adding that they expected Sharapova to be available for the2016 Summer Olympics.[220][221]
As a result of the failed drug test,Nike andTAG Heuer suspended their relationships with Sharapova, whilePorsche postponed promotional work.[222][223] Racquet manufacturerHEAD stood by Sharapova, saying, "We look forward to working with her", and announced that they intended to extend their contract.[224] They also suggested that WADA should prove scientifically why the drug should be banned.[225] TheUnited Nations Development Programme suspended Sharapova from her role as a goodwill ambassador on 16 March, while expressing thanks for her support of their work over the previous nine years.[226]
On 12 April, WADA intimated that athletes who tested positive for meldonium before 1 March could avoid bans, but the International Tennis Federation said that Sharapova's case would proceed.[227] On 8 June, the ITF announced that Sharapova would be suspended for two years. Sharapova indicated she would appeal the ban.[228]
Following a hearing on 7 and 8 September 2016, theCourt of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) panel found that Sharapova had a reduced perception of the risk that she took while using Mildronate, because (a) she had used Mildronate for around ten years without any anti-doping issue, (b) she did not mask or hide her use of mildronate and was open about it to many in her entourage (c) she had consulted the Russian doctor who prescribed the Mildronate for medical reasons, not to enhance her performance, and (d) she had received no specific warning about the change in status of meldonium from WADA, the ITF, or the WTA.[229][230] However, the CAS panel also noted Sharapova's failure to disclose her use of meldonium on her doping control forms and that she was at fault for (a) failing to give her agent adequate instructions as to how to carry out the important task of checking the Prohibited List, and (b) failing to supervise and control the actions of her agent in carrying out that task (specifically the lack of any procedure for reporting or follow-up verification to make sure that her agent had actually discharged his duty).[231]
Finally, the panel wishes to point out that the case it heard, and the award it renders, is not about an athlete who cheated. It was only about the degree of fault that can be imputed to a player for a player to make sure that a substance contained in a product she had been legally taking over a long period, and for most of the time on the basis of a doctor's prescription, remained in compliance with TADP and WADC. No question of the intent to violate the TADP and WADC was before this panel: under no circumstances therefore, can the Player be considered to be an "intentional doper".[229]
On 4 October, the CAS reduced the sanction imposed on Sharapova by an Independent Tribunal from 24 months to 15 months.[9] CAS released a statement on its official website stating:[10]
Ms. Sharapova committed an anti-doping rule violation and that while it was with "no significant fault", she bore some degree of fault, for which a sanction of 15 months is appropriate.
Sharapova has lived in the United States since moving there at the age of seven, but retains her Russian citizenship, and is therefore eligible to play in theFed Cup for Russia.[232] However, the behavior of Sharapova's father during her matches on the WTA Tour, combined with a perceived lack of commitment by her to the Fed Cup, made her selection for theRussian Fed Cup team controversial in the past.
After Sharapova had beaten fellow RussianAnastasia Myskina at the2004 WTA Tour Championships, Myskina criticized Sharapova's father, saying: "He 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." At the Fed Cup semifinals two weeks later, Myskina stated she would stop playing for Russia if Sharapova joined the Russian team the following season: "If she joins our team next season you won't see me there for sure. His behaviour is totally incorrect, simply rude. I don't want to be around people like him."Larisa Neiland, assistant to Russia Fed Cup captain Shamil Tarpishchev, added: "Her father's behaviour (at the WTA Tour Championships) was simply outrageous. I just don't see how he could work with the rest of us." However, Tarpishchev himself played down the problem, insisting: "I feel that things will calm down soon and we'll have Myskina, Sharapova, Kuznetsova and everyone else playing for Russia."[233]
Sharapova at her Fed Cup debut in February 2008
At the end of 2005, Sharapova stated she was now keen to make her Fed Cup debut[234] and was set to play against Belgium in April 2006, but withdrew.[235]She later withdrew from ties against Spain in April 2007[236] and against the United States in July 2007 because of injuries.[237] The latter withdrawal led to Russia's captain saying she would be "ineligible for selection" for the Fed Cup final in September.[238] However, Sharapova attended the final, cheering from the sidelines and acting as a "hitting partner" in practices, resulting in some of her Russian teammates implying that she was attending only to enable her to play at the2008 Beijing Olympics (rules state that players must have "shown commitment" to Fed Cup in order to play).Svetlana Kuznetsova said, "She said she wanted to be our practice partner but if you can't play how then can you practice?"[239]
Sharapova finally made her Fed Cup debut in February 2008, in Russia's quarterfinal tie againstIsrael.[240] She won both her singles rubbers, againstTzipora Obziler andShahar Pe'er, helping Russia to a 4–1 victory.[241] For the semifinals, she was given permission to skip the tie, with Tarpishchev announcing that she will be on the team for the final.[242] However, the date of the final coincided with the lay-off from her shoulder injury, and thus she did not play.[242]
In the 2011 first-round tie, Sharapova playedVirginie Razzano of France and lost. Sharapova was supposed to playAlizé Cornet but she was suffering from a viral illness.[citation needed] TeammateAnastasia Pavlyuchenkova played and defeated Cornet to secure the 3–2 win for Russia against France. Sharapova continued to participate in 2012 and helped Russia to a 3–2 win against Spain in the first-round tie. Sharapova defeatedSílvia Soler Espinosa in the first rubber, but was unable to play her second rubber due to illness.[citation needed] In 2015, Sharapova helped Russia earn a place in the semifinals after beating PoleUrszula Radwańska in the first tie and her sisterAgnieszka Radwańska in the second tie. Sharapova was scheduled to play the semifinal againstGermany, however, she withdrew days before the competition. She then joined the team for the final againstCzech Republic and won both of her matches, againstPetra Kvitová andKarolína Plíšková. Despite the 2 wins by Sharapova, Russia still lost 3–2 after losing the decisive doubles rubber.
Sharapova serving at the Wimbledon Championships in 2009
Sharapova was anaggressive baseliner, whose game was centered on her powerful serve and groundstrokes.[243] She hit her shots with relentless speed, power, and depth, and could generate sharp, acute angles with both her forehand and backhand.[244] Her aggressive, high-risk playing style meant that she typically generated high numbers of both winners and unforced errors. Sharapova's greatest weapon was her backhand, which was described upon her retirement as "among the best in tennis".[245] Her crosscourt backhand was her greatest shot, although she was also adept at hitting her backhand down-the-line, and was able to hit winners with her backhand from any position on the court. Her forehand was also strong, capable of dominating opponents with her flat and powerful shots. She was one of the few players on the WTA Tour who often used the reverse forehand—also known as the 'buggy whip' forehand—a technique that allowed her to hit winners from defensive positions which excelled on fast grass, hard, and carpet courts. It has been speculated, however, that her reliance on this shot may have contributed to her worsening shoulder injury.[246] From 2010 onwards, when she returned after shoulder surgery, Sharapova began to hit her forehand with a more conventional swing, with increased amounts of topspin. This alteration allowed her to excel on clay courts, but affected her game on faster hard and grass courts.[247] Later in her career, Sharapova added both a drop shot and a sliced backhand to her repertoire, making for a more unpredictable playing style. Whilst her drop shot was highly telegraphed, her exceptional execution allowed her to end points, or induce unforced errors from opponents.[248][249][250] Sharapova was thought to have good speed around the court, especially considering her height, although her footwork, speed, and court coverage were always considered the major weaknesses in her game. These improved throughout her career, allowing her to execute a more defensive playing style effectively, counterpunching until she could create the opportunity to hit a winner.[244]
Throughout her career, Sharapova's greatest asset was considered to be her mental toughness and competitive spirit, with Nick Bollettieri stating that she is "tough as nails"; Bollettieri later described her mental strength as "unbelieveable". Hall-of-famerJohn McEnroe said of Sharapova, "she's one of the best competitors in the history of the sport."[251] Upon her retirement, she was described as "the ultimate competitor", who was set apart from her peers by her mental strength, and was lauded as an "unyielding character".[252] American playerChristina McHale described playing Sharapova as "intimidating" due to her mental fortitude, competitive spirit, and composure under pressure.[253] Sharapova was known for on-court "grunting", which reached a recorded 101decibels during a match atWimbledon in 2005;[254] Sharapova described her grunting as "a natural instinct."[255] When questioned by the media about her grunting, Sharapova urged the media to "just watch the match."[256]
Early in her career, Sharapova's first and second serves were regarded as powerful,[244] and she was believed to possess one of the best deliveries on the WTA Tour.[257] Since the beginning of 2007, however, problems with her shoulder reduced the effectiveness of her serve.[257] Her shoulder injury resulted in not only inconsistent first serves, but also led to Sharapova hitting high numbers of double faults.[258] Two-time US Open singles championTracy Austin stated that Sharapova often lost confidence in the rest of her game when she experienced problems with her serve, and consequently produced more unforced errors and generally played more tentatively,[259] whilst tennis writer Joel Drucker remarked that her serve was the "catalyst for her entire game", and that her struggles with it left her "unmasked."[257] In her return from an injury layoff in 2008 to 2009, she used an abbreviated motion, which, whilst producing aces, was somewhat less powerful, and also gave a very high number of double faults. From 2010, Sharapova returned to a more elongated motion, similar to her pre-surgery serve. She was able to produce speeds greater than before, including a 121 mph (195 km/h) serve hit at the Birmingham tournament in 2010—the fastest serve of her career.[260] Continuing shoulder injuries affected her serve, and, by the end of her career, her serve was a major liability, with Sharapova serving many double faults per match.[261]
Instead of using a traditionalvolley or overheadsmash, Sharapova preferred to hit powerful "swinging" volleys when approaching the net or attackinglobs.[262] In her final years, Sharapova began to attack the net more, and showed improved feel when volleying, being able to hit delicate volleys with increased regularity. This tactic was considered by some to compensate for her decreased power at the baseline as a result of her shoulder injury.
Because she predicated her game on power and aggression, Sharapova's preferred surfaces early in her career were fast hard, grass, and carpet courts. Sharapova initially was not as well-suited to slower clay courts, admitting in 2007 that she was not as comfortable with her movement on clay compared with other court surfaces and once described herself as like a "cow on ice" on clay due to her inability to slide.[263] As her career developed, she began to improve on the surface, winning her first red clay title at the2009 Internationaux de Strasbourg, with her clay-court prowess culminating to twoRoland-Garros titles. In 2014, she led the WTA Tour with the highest winning percentage on clay among active players, with an 84.25% winning rate.[264][265]
Medal of the Order For Merit to the Fatherland 1st Class (13 August 2012) –for her outstanding contribution to the development of physical cultures and sports at the XXX Olympic Games in 2012 in London (Great Britain)[280]
In 2011, Sharapova was engaged to Slovenian professional basketball playerSasha Vujačić,[282][283] with whom she had been in a relationship since 2009.[284] On 31 August 2012, Sharapova confirmed that the pair had ended the engagement and separated earlier that year.[285] Between 2012 and 2015, Sharapova dated Bulgarian tennis playerGrigor Dimitrov.
Since 2018, Sharapova has been in a relationship with English businessmanAlexander Gilkes.[286] In December 2020, Sharapova and Gilkes revealed they were engaged.[287] On 1 July 2022, she gave birth to a son.[288]
Sharapova has lived in the United States since moving there at the age of seven. She has a home inBradenton, Florida, California.[289]From 2005 to 2011, Sharapova was named to theForbes Celebrity 100, which attempts to compile the top 100 most powerful celebrities of that year.[290]
In early March 2022, Sharapova spoke out against theRussian invasion of Ukraine and pledged to donate to 'Save the Children' organisation helping Ukrainian children impacted by the war.[292]
Although aUnited States resident since 1994, Sharapova has preferred keeping her Russian citizenship:
It is about the family environment, it is about the rich culture. Just life experiences that I look back to and I know that for so many years I was shaped into the individual I was from those experiences. And not necessarily simply the country, but the people, the mentality and the toughness and that never giving up attitude.[293]
The Maria Sharapova Foundation is committed to helping children around the world achieve their dreams. Sharapova has donated $100,000 to Chernobyl-related projects. In partnership with theUnited Nations Development Programme (UNDP), she launched a $210,000 scholarship program for students from Chernobyl-affected areas of Belarus that will award five-year scholarships to 12 students at the Belarusian State Academy of Arts and the Belarusian State University.[294] At the2004 US Open, Sharapova, along with several other Russian female tennis players, wore a black ribbon in observance of the tragedy after theBeslan school hostage crisis, which took place only days before.[295] In 2005, she donated around US$50,000 to those affected by the crisis.[46] On 14 February 2007, Sharapova was appointed aGoodwill Ambassador for the UNDP and donated US$210,000 toUNDP Chernobyl-recovery projects. She stated at the time that she was planning to travel back to the area after Wimbledon in 2008,[296] though it didn't happen since she had to travel back to the US because of her shoulder injury.[297] She fulfilled the trip in late June/early July 2010. Sharapova helped to promote the2014 Winter Olympics inSochi, Russia,[298] and was the first torch bearer in the torch-lighting ceremony during the opening festivities. In addition, Sharapova participated in an exhibition in Tampa in December 2004, raising money for the Florida Hurricane Relief Fund.[299] In July 2008, Sharapova sent a message on DVD to the memorial service of Emily Bailes, who had performed the coin toss ahead of the2004 Wimbledon final that Sharapova won.[300]
Sharapova at official unveiling of herCanon PowerShot Diamond lineup
Sharapova's tennis success and appearance have enabled her to secure commercial endorsements that greatly exceed the value of her tournament winnings.[302][303] She has been represented byIMG agentMax Eisenbud since around 1999.[304] In March 2006, Forbes magazine listed her as the highest-paid female athlete in the world, with annual earnings of over US$18 million,[305] the majority of which was from endorsements and sponsorships. She topped that list every year until 2016, even after her 2007 shoulder injury.[306][307][308] In 2011,Forbes listed Sharapova as No. 29 in their list of 50 top-paid athletes, the only woman on the list.[309] In 2012, she was listed as No. 15, and was joined in the top 20 byLi Na at No. 16 andSerena Williams at No. 17.[310] In April 2005,People named her one of the 50 most beautiful celebrities in the world.[311] In 2006,Maxim ranked Sharapova the hottest athlete in the world for the fourth consecutive year. She posed in a six-page bikini photoshoot spread in the 2006Valentine's Day issue of theSports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, alongside 25 supermodels.[312] In a poll run by Britain'sFHM magazine, she was voted theseventh most eligible bachelorette,[313] based on both "wealth and looks."
Immediately after her win at the 2004 Wimbledon Championship, mobile phone companyMotorola signed Sharapova to endorse their mobile phone line.[314] Additionally, she appeared in commercials forLand Rover andCanon, as well as approved of namesake items by watch brandTag Heuer and jewellerTiffany.[314] Tiffany also provides Sharapova with earrings from the "Tiffany for Maria Sharapova" collection at the four major events, that are also retailed globally.[315] She also starred in an award-winning campaign for the sports clothing brand Nike, "Pretty", in the summer of 2006. She signed a sponsorship deal in January 2007 withGatorade andTropicana,[316] which ended in 2009.[317] In 2007, Sharapova was featured in a number of Canon USA's commercials for the PowerShot.[318] Sharapova has also been depicted in many tennis-related video games. Some of the titles include theTop Spin series,Virtua Tennis series, andGrand Slam Tennis series. During the layoff due to her shoulder surgery, Sharapova decided to focus on developing her name as a brand, beginning with meeting with her sponsors more extensively to further her brand.[314] In January 2010, it was announced that Sharapova had renewed her contract with Nike, signing an 8-year deal for $70 million—the most lucrative deal ever for a sportswoman.[319]
Sharapova launched her own tennis apparel line, the Nike Maria Sharapova Collection, in 2010. The collection includes dresses that she designed for all the major tournaments, in collaboration with Nike andCole Haan.[320] She comes up with design ideas and sketches in a process that begins 18 months before the event[320] and receives royalties from the sale of the collection, of which the corresponding dresses are coordinated to be available simultaneously with the corresponding major tournament.[314] Sharapova had earlier collaborated with Nike on thelittle black dress that she wore for her night matches at the 2006 US Open.[314] The dress featured a round crystal-studded collar and was inspired byAudrey Hepburn.[314] The dress was well publicized and received but was not mass-produced.[314][320][321] Additionally, she designs shoes and handbags for Cole Haan, for which her signature ballerina flats are one of the biggest sellers of the entire brand.[314]
Sharapova used thePrince Triple Threat Hornet for part of 2003 and then used several different Prince racquets. She started the 2004 season with the Prince More Attack 920, which she used to win the2004 Wimbledon Championships. She gave the racquet toRegis Philbin when tapingLive with Regis and Kelly, and began using the Prince Turbo Shark MP specially designed for her at the2004 US Open until 2005.[322] She then switched to the Prince O3 White racquet in January 2006 which helped her capture her second major at the2006 US Open. She briefly used the Prince O3 Speedport White at the2007 Kremlin Cup, but ultimately switched back to the O3 White, winning her third major at the2008 Australian Open. She then switched to the Prince O3 Speedport Black in July 2008 after returning to the tour from shoulder surgery, then switched to the Prince EXO3 Black 100 in 2010.[323] After being with Prince for ten years,[324] Sharapova began endorsingHead racquets in 2011 and used their Instinct line,[325][326] winning theFrench Open in2012 and2014 until she retired in 2020.
Sharapova signed a three-year deal to be brand ambassador forPorsche in 2013.[327]
Sharapova launched her confectionery brand Sugarpova in 2012.[328] Sugarpova had a reported sales of $20 million in the year 2019.[329] In 2014, Sharapova invested in sunscreen brand Supergoop.[330] It was reported in 2021 that Blackstone had bought a majority stake in Supergoop.[331]Sharapova also appeared as a guest shark in the American TV showShark Tank in 2020, where she teamed up withMark Cuban to invest in wearable wrist and ankle weights company Bala Bangles.[332] Later in 2020, Sharapova became an investor in wellness brand Therabody.[333] Some other companies Sharapova has invested in includeUFC, Tonal, Public.com, Moonpay, Clio Snacks.[334][335][336][337][338] In April 2022, Sharapova also became a member of the Board of Directors of the fashion brandMoncler.[339] Sharapova acts as an advisor to brands Naked Retail and Bright.[340][341]
^Marc Ganis, the president of SportsCorp Ltd., a sports-industry consultant in Chicago, said, "Never underestimate the importance of physical beauty to an athlete's endorsement opportunities. Other than performance on the court, it may be the single most important asset."The New York Times.Serving Their Clients, 7 September 2006
World No. 1 22 August 2005 – 28 August 2005 12 September 2005 – 23 October 2005 29 January 2007 – 18 March 2007 19 May 2008 – 8 June 2008 11 June 2012 – 8 July 2012
Notes:1 = switched fromKazakhstan;2 = juniors' circuit player awarded before the existence of theJuniors nomination,3 = wheelchair,4 = postponed to 2021 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in Russia
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