Sharapova top-earner in female athletes list, again!
According to Forbes, Maria Sharapova topped the list for highest paid female athletes for the 11th year consecutively. Her total estimated earnings were $29.7 million as calculated by Forbes. The earnings were calculated from 1 June 2014 to 1 June 2015. Tennis players dominate the list by acquiring the top seven positions with Serena Williams featuring at the second position in the list.
The roots of the tennis-star
Maria Sharapova was born on April 19, 1987 at Nyagan, Russia SFSR. Shortly after her birth, her family moved to Sochi, Krasnodar Krai, Russia.
Maria Yuryevna Sharapova is a Russian tennis player who is currently ranked No.2 by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA). Sharapova has competed on WTA tours since 2001. She has been ranked No.1 in singles by WTA on five separate occasions- for a cumulative period of 21 weeks. Apart from 35 singles titles and 5 Grand Slam titles, she has also won three doubles titles.
Then, 17-year-old Maria Sharapova was crowned with the Wimbledon title, beating Serena Williams as she overpowered her 6-1 6-4. With her first Grand Slam title, she became the first Russian woman to win the Wimbledon title. Post the glorious win, the media gave her immense attention and her popularity was escalating. After collecting the trophy, she had exclaimed, "It's unreal!"
19-year-old Sharapova won the US Open final against Henin-Hardene to gain her second Grand Slam title. She had a clear 6-4 6-4 win against Hardene at New York. She had lost her opening service game but hit back with two breaks on her way to winning the first set. Sharapova again, affirmed her position at the Grand Slam after two years.
Third Gland Slam feather added to her cap!
​Sharapova won her first Australian open against Ana Ivanovic, adding the third Grand Slam accolade to her kitty. In the unexpected victory, Sharapova defeated Ivanovic 7-5 6-3. The then No.5 seeded Sharapova had lost to Serena Williams in the previous Australian Open in 2007. She suffered a major shoulder injury in the latter part of 2008, which was a major setback for her career.
25-year-old, Sharapova gloated as she emerged victorious against Sara Errani in The French-Open finals to complete the full set of Glam Slam titles. Sharapova claimed a convincing victory by 6-3 6-2. She became the 10th woman to win all the four Gland Slam titles. This was her much awaited victory after she recovered from a career-threatening shoulder-injury and regained her No.1 ranking.
On 4 August 2012, Sharapova lost 6-0 6-1 to Serena Williams in the final match of tennis women's singles at the Summer Olympics 2012 held at London to settle for a silver medal.
Another grand victory at French Open
Sharapova won her second French Open title against Simona Halep in one of the most dramatic matches at Roland Garros, Paris. She beat Halep in just over three hours and came through as 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 . It was the fourth match in a row that saw Sharapova taste victory in the final set. She collected $6.7 million as prize money.
Sharapova's tennis success and appearance have facilitated major endorsements which exceed the value of her tournament-winnings. Apart from endorsing major brands like Motorola, Land-Rover, Canon, Porsche, Nike, Tropicana etc, she has also modeled for various international magazines and featured in tennis-related videogames. Sharapova had launched her own tennis apparel line in collaboration with Nike in 2010. She also designs shoes and handbags for Cole-Haan.
