Maria Sharapova Exercise 4

Tennis champion Maria Sharapova became the first Russian woman to win Wimbledon and hold the world's No. 1 ranking.
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QUOTES
“I'm not the next anyone, I'm the first Maria Sharapova.”
—Maria Sharapova

Synopsis

Born in Russia in 1987, Maria Sharapova moved to the U.S. at an early age and began training at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy. After turning professional at age 14, she burst into the spotlight by winning the 2004 Wimbledon women's singles title. Sharapova became the 10th woman to earn a career Grand Slam with her French Open win in 2012, and she added a second French crown in 2014. In 2016, she was suspended for two years by the International Tennis Federation following her positive test for a banned substance. After an appeal, her suspension was reduced to 15 months, allowing her to return to competition in April 2017.

Early Life and Career

Tennis player Maria Sharapova was born on April 19, 1987, in Nyagan, Siberia, Russia. After learning to play tennis as a young child, she moved with her father to Florida, earning a scholarship to train at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy at age 9.

Long-limbed and powerful, Sharapova showed immense promise on the competitive circuit. She turned professional on her 14th birthday but continued to compete among her peers, finishing runner-up at the junior Wimbledon and French Open tournaments in 2002.

Sharapova was slowed by shoulder problems for much of 2007 and 2008, although she managed to win her third Grand Slam with a dominant showing at the 2008 Australian Open. She finally underwent shoulder surgery that October, and the resulting layoff forced her out of the Top 100 until her return to singles action in May 2009.

Sharapova struggled to regain her consistency against the premier women's players, but she was back in the Top 20 by the end of 2009, and finished 2011 ranked No. 4 in the world. In June 2012, Sharapova capped her comeback by defeating Sara Errani in the French Open final. The victory made her just the 10th woman to complete a career Grand Slam (wins at all four major tournaments), and allowed her to regain the world's No. 1 ranking.

At the 2012 Summer Olympic Games—Sharapova's Olympic debut—she won a silver medal in women's singles, losing the gold to American tennis star Serena Williams. The Russian continued to play well in subsequent majors, finishing runner-up at the 2013 French Open. However, shoulder problems again took a toll, and not long after a disappointing second-round loss at Wimbledon, she withdrew from action for the remainder of the season.

Regaining momentum in 2014, Sharapova won her second French Open and fifth overall Grand Slam title by defeating Simona Halep. In 2015, she advanced to the Australian Open final and the semifinals of the U.S. Open, before finishing the year ranked No. 4.