Maria Sharapova

Five Grand Slams and one of sport's most recognised commercial brands — tennis's most famous Russian.

Maria Yuryevna Sharapova was born in Nyagan, Russia in 1987. Her father Yuri moved to the United States with Maria at six to pursue her tennis development — her mother was unable to obtain a visa and did not see her daughter for two years. IMG Academy in Florida developed her. She won Wimbledon in 2004 at age 17 — the first Russian woman to win the title. She became the face of women's tennis commercially — her endorsement earnings exceeded her prize money throughout her career, making her the highest-earning female athlete in the world for multiple consecutive years. She completed the career Grand Slam when she won the 2012 French Open. She received a 15-month ban in 2016 after testing positive for meldonium — a substance she stated she had been taking for a decade for health reasons without knowing it had been added to the prohibited list. She returned to professional tennis in 2017 and retired in February 2020 citing a persistent shoulder injury. Her five Grand Slams, global commercial reach and the meldonium case make her one of tennis's most discussed careers.

Sharapova was known for her powerful baseline game built around aggressive groundstrokes from both wings. Her signature shot was a penetrating two-handed backhand that she could hit with exceptional pace and depth. She possessed excellent court positioning and timing, allowing her to take the ball early and dictate points from the baseline.

Sharapova helped elevate women's tennis globally through her on-court success and massive commercial appeal, becoming one of the most recognizable athletes worldwide.

• Wimbledon (2004)
• US Open (2006)
• Australian Open (2008)
• French Open 2x (2012,2014)