Maria SHARAPOVA Tennis s ultimate comeback kid By Jennifer Cox Photos: Russell James/Icon Photography 52 fall 2009
What sport doesn t have a little drama? It s what draws the fans in, gets them hooked, and in the last couple of years, women s tennis has been no exception. After three of the WTA s biggest draws retired during 2007-2008 Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters (who has since returned), and Martina Hingis the beautiful (and vocal) Maria Sharapova suffered an injury to her shoulder. Had it not been for those sassy Williams sisters, women s tennis would have been at a practical standstill. fall 2009 53
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Tennis Photo: Keystone Press Agency owever, Sharapova returned to tennis this past spring, and all Heyes were on the sexy Russian as she worked to prove her claims that she was back 100%. So far, she s brought her world ranking from No. 60 at the French Open to No. 30 after an impressive run at the Rogers Cup in August. For those wondering if the superstar was really back, her recent game play has undoubtedly confirmed that she is. The young Sharapova Born in Siberia, Russia, Maria Sharapova was an only child and moved with her family after the Chernobyl incident. At 6 years old, tennis pro Martina Navratilova saw her hitting balls at a tennis clinic in Moscow, and encouraged Sharapova s father to nurture her talent. She and her father packed up everything and moved to the U.S., leaving her mother behind to finish college and get her visa. Her father signed her up for the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, and although her tennis skills were acknowledged, she was still too young to compete, so she continued training locally and racking up wins in smaller tourneys. In December 1995, Sharapova received a scholarship and finally became a full-time student of the Academy. She lived in the dorms on campus for several months before her mother moved to the States and she moved back in with her parents. In November 2000, luck was on her side when she won in the Girls 16-and-under Eddie Herr Championships and, the following year, Maria Sharapova turned professional. A great tennis career is something that a 15-year-old normally doesn t have, she said about her early success. I hope my example helps other teens believe they can accomplish things they never thought possible. The young pro In 2001, Sharapova competed in her first WTA tournament, making her the youngest female to reach the final of the junior Australian Open. In no time, the blonde bombshell was making heads turn. After starting on the WTA Tour in 2003, she won her first two WTA Tour titles in the fall (at the Japan Open Tennis Championships and the Bell Challenge). Her success on the court earned her WTA Newcomer of the Year, and she finished the year ranked number 32 in the world. The next year, Sharapova got her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon at the tender age of 17. To top off the season, she won consecutive titles in Asia at the Hansol Korea Open Tennis Championships and the Japan Open Tennis Championships her ranking soared to number 4 as a result. Sharapova went on to make 2005 a record-breaking year. Following wins at the Toray Pan Pacific Open and the Qatar Total Open, she became the first world number one ranked Russian woman in August, basking in the glory of her title for a mere week when Lindsay Davenport reclaimed the top ranking. She took the number one spot back again in September, only to give it to Davenport six weeks later. It was a three-title year for Sharapova, finishing with a number 4 spot as the top-ranking Russian. She continued raking in wins in 2006, including the Tier I Pacific Life Open and Acura Classic, and then she took her second Grand Slam title at the US Open. By the end of the year, her number two ranking made it her best year to-date. Things continued to work in Maria Sharapova s favour as she clinched the number one rank in the world in 2007 for seven weeks before giving it up to Justine Henin. Although she suffered a shoulder injury that kept her from playing the clay court season, she won a title at the Tier I Acura Classic, but lost at the US Open and ended the season with a number five ranking. Despite a disappointing finish to the season, 2007 turned out to be the highest-earning year for the tennis superstar, as she boasted not only skills but incredible good looks too. Her winnings, as well as her increasing endorsements, made Sharapova s bank account top a reported $23 million US. She apparently joked, It s never enough. Bring on the money. There s no limit to how much you can make. Meanwhile, the WTA was reeling that year as Kim Clijsters announced her fall 2009 55
retirement from tennis in May, and then that November, Martina Hingis retired from the sport. The loss of such key players worried members of the WTA, putting pressure on Sharapova to maintain the momentum. A bump in the road In 2008, Sharapova delivered and won her third Grand Slam title at the Australia Open. Last year my thought process was just so different... I had many negative thoughts, she said following the win. If I would have thought then that I d be standing on that stage (today), with that trophy, I don t think I would have believed it. S h e reve l l e d i n a n 18 - g a m e w i n n i n g s t re a k b efo re l o s - i n g i n t h e s e m i f i n a l s of t h e Pa c i f i c L i fe O p e n. H oweve r, s h e s t i l l m a n a g e d to n a b t h e n u m b e r o n e ra n k i n g a f te r J u s t i n e H e n i n s u d d e n l y ret i re d f ro m t h e W TA. S h a ra p ova re l i n q u i s h e d t h e f i r s t - p l a ce s p ot a f te r a l o s s at t h e F re n c h O p e n. Then, at the Rogers Cup, Maria Sharapova suffered another shoulder injury, forcing her to withdraw from the competition. She had surgery and, as a result of her extended recuperation time, was unable to participate in the Olympics, the US Open, and the WTA Tour Championships. It was another hurdle for the young star athlete, and she finished the year with a number nine world ranking. Sharapova returned to tennis in March 2009 at a doubles tourney at the BNP Paribas Open, and followed that up with singles tournaments at the Warsaw and French Open. Because of her long absence from tennis, she was ranked number sixty. By the time the U.S. Open Series at the Stanford came around, she d raised her stock to a number 49 rank. After several impressive wins at the Rogers Cup in August, Maria Sharapova stood at number thirty, however her loss in the finals made people question whether she was fully recovered. You do something for your whole career, since you were young, and you re used to doing it a certain way, then all of sudden you have to change it at a very elite level. It takes time, she said. With every tournament I feel like I m progressing. I m understanding what feels better, what I can do better. And I think it was a really great week for me. Off the courts There s no denying the Siberian Siren s apparent skills on the court, but unless you were blind, you also couldn t ignore her incredible beauty. Being a star athlete obviously helps her maintain an awesome physique, but she s also got the green-eyed, blonde-haired supermodel thing going on (not to mention she s 6 2 ), advertisers have sure taken notice. Sure, she s amassed a small fortune from her tennis winnings, but she s earned an even bigger fortune with all her endorsements. She s been the face of more than a dozen brand names including Nike, Speedminton, Motorola, Canon, TAG Heuer, Land Rover, Gatorade, and Sony Ericsson. Interesting Facts Sharapova s father is often scrutinized and criticized for his outrageous behaviour on the court Maria s loudest grunt was measured at 101.2 decibels (louder than a motorcycle or a lawnmower) Maria Sharapova is into philately, the study of stamps She has also been the object of men s desires thanks to slews of lad mags tipping their visors to the Russian sexpot. Maria Sharapova made People magazine s 50 Most Beautiful People list in 2005, and in 2006, she struck some scantily-clad poses in the iconic Sports Illustrated s Swimsuit Issue (thank you, SI). And given her respected sports reputation, what would a tennis video game be without one of the world s topranked (and hottest) players? Sharapova has been featured in Top Spin, Virtua Tennis 2, Virtua Tennis 2009, and Gran Slam Tennis. Whether she s faced difficult life circumstances or been riddled with nagging injuries, Maria Sharapova has been touted as one of the best tennis players in the world and she s proving to the world that, no matter what life throws at her, she is. When I walk through that gate to the court, that s my escape, Sharapova told The Associated Press last year. I block out everything, good and bad. It s a system that works. With a respectable comeback record so far for 09, there s no doubt that Maria Sharapova will continue her domination of the WTA.