|residence= Bradenton, Florida, USA
|datebirth= April 19, 1987
|placebirth= Nyagan, Siberia, Russia
|height= 1.905 m (6 ft 3 in)
|weight= 59 kg (130 lb)
|turnedpro= 2001
|plays= Right; Two-handed backhand
|careerprizemoney= US$7,917,274
|singlesrecord= 214-54
|singlestitles= 13
|highestsinglesranking= 1 (August 22, 2005)
|AustralianOpenresult= SF (2005, 2006)
|FrenchOpenresult= QF (2004, 2005)
|Wimbledonresult= '''W''' (2004)
|USOpenresult= '''W''' (2006)
|doublesrecord= 23-16
|doublestitles= 3
|highestdoublesranking= No. 1
|updated= September 9, 2006
}}
'''Maria Yuryevna Sharapova''' (; () born April 19, 1987) is a former '''World No. 1''' professional tennis player and the world's highest-paid female athlete.
Sharapova holds two career Grand Slam victories. She is the reigning U.S. Open champion, winning the 2006 title over Justine Henin-Hardenne.
Personal Life
Sharapova's parents are originally from Gomel, Belarus, and moved to Siberia, Russia in 1986, after the Chernobyl nuclear accident. She was born in Nyagan, Russia, the following year.
At age 9, Sharapova, accompanied by her father, moved to the United States to attend the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Her mother followed a few years later.
Sharapova now lives in the United States, but retains Russian citizenship.
Maria has been rumored to be dating fellow tour player Andy Roddick, though Roddick asserts that the two are just friends.
[http://www.askmen.com/toys/entertainment_150/153b_gossip.html roddick serving sharapova][http://www.hollywood.com/news/detail/id/3550133 Roddick Denies Sharapova Romance][http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-0608280127aug28,1,6457877.story http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-0608280127aug28,1,6457877.story A match made in] The couple has been dubbed "Rodapova" by Page Six of the ''New York Post'', a la "Bennifer".
[http://www.nypost.com/seven/08312006/sports/rodapova_roll_past_opponents_sports_brian_lewis.htm "Rodapova" roll past opponents][http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-0608280127aug28,1,6457877.story http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-0608280127aug28,1,6457877.story A match made in] Sharapova recently purchased a beach-front home in Manhattan Beach, California, a suburb of Los Angeles.
Career
In 2004, Sharapova became the third-youngest Wimbledon women's champion (after Lottie Dod and Martina Hingis) and second-youngest in the Open Era by defeating Lindsay Davenport (2-6, 7-6, 6-1) in the quarterfinals, Ai Sugiyama (5-7, 7-5, 6-1) in the semifinals, and two-time defending champion Serena Williams (6-1, 6-4). She also became the first Russian to win that tournament. Sharapova followed it up with a victory at the season-ending WTA Championships, defeating Williams (4-6, 6-2, 6-4). In the final set, she came back from a 0-4 deficit.
From June 2004 until her Wimbledon semi-final appearance in 2005, Sharapova had a 22-match winning streak on grass, including back-to-back Birmingham titles and the Wimbledon crown. Sharapova's huge success continued after winning Wimbledon, both on the court, making the semi-finals of the 2005 Australian Open, and off it, with numerous endorsements following.
left|thumb|200px|Maria Sharapova at Indian Wells Masters|Indian Wells in 2005
Defending her Wimbledon title in 2005, Sharapova sailed through to the semi-finals without losing a set, then lost to a rejuvenated Venus Williams (6-7, 1-6). Sharapova's streak on
