Maria Sharapova was born on April 19, 1987. At the age of three, Sharapova moved with her family to the resort town of Sochi. She began playing tennis at age four and at age six, while at a tennis clinic in Moscow, Sharapova was spotted by Martina Navratilova, who urged her parents to get her serious coaching in the United States.
In 2004, Sharapova became the second youngest Wimbledon women's champion in the Open Era by defeating defending two-time champion Serena Williams in straight sets. She also became the first Russian player to win the tournament. Sharapova's success continued with a victory at the WTA Season-Ending Championships. 2005 proved to be another successful year. Maria won 3 more titles and again finished the year ranked #4.
Sharapova has won many awards during her professional career. She's been named "WTA Newcomer of the Year" in 2003, WTA "Player of the Year" and "Most Improved Player of the Year" in 2004 and the ESPY "Best Female Tennis Player" in 2005.
Off the court, People magazine named Sharapova one of the "50 most beautiful celebrities" in the world and Forbes listed her as the highest-paid female athlete in the world, with annual earnings of $18 million. In 2006, Sharapova was featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, joining the ranks of other athletes who have previously appeared in the publication.
In September 2009, Cole Haan shoes announced a collaboration with Sharapova for its new fashion-and-sports line, Cole Haan Sporting and features Sharapova as the line’s spokesmodel.
Maria Sharapova, world-ranked tennis player, is available exclusively through IMG Speakers bureau for speaking engagements. Maria Sharapova is also available for corporate hospitality events, meet and greets, tennis clinics, tennis outings, and much more. Please contact IMG Speakers at 212-774-6735 or speakers@imgworld.com for more information on booking Maria Sharapova.
