| h she is no longer the number one tennis player in the | | | | Accompanied by her father, Sharapova went to |
| world, Maria Sharapova is still absolutely the most | | | | Florida and enrolled at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis |
| famous and most watched female tennis superstar as | | | | Academy, the same tennis school that produced |
| well as the world’s highest paid female athlete. | | | | former world number ones such as Pete Sampras |
| Her parents were originally from Gomel, Belarus but | | | | and Andre Agassi. Due to visa problems, the father |
| they moved to the infamous Siberia in Russia in 1986 | | | | and daughter were separated from |
| after the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe. Sharapova | | | | Sharapova’s mother for two years. |
| herself was born in Nyagan, Russia on April 19, 1987. | | | | In the beginning, Sharapova’s father worked at |
| She now resides in the United States but has retained | | | | several jobs to pay for her tennis lessons. But things |
| her Russian citizenship. | | | | would get better soon enough. The giant sports talent |
| After moving with her family to the Black Sea Resort | | | | agency, International Management Group, soon granted |
| at the town of Sochi at age three, she started playing | | | | Sharapova a full scholarship to ease the financial |
| tennis later at the age of four. Her first racket came | | | | burdens on her father. |
| from the father of tennis star Yevgeny Kafelnikov, | | | | In 2004, Sharapova defeated two-time Wimbledon |
| who hails from Sochi. By the time she was six, she | | | | champion Serena Williams in straight sets (6-1, 6-4) in |
| showed enough talent on the court to catch the eye | | | | the finals to become the third youngest winner of the |
| of superstar Martina Navratilova, who then spoke to | | | | prestigious Wimbledon women’s singles event, |
| Sharapova’s parents, urging them to send the | | | | following the footsteps of Lottie Dod and Martina |
| young girl to the United States for professional tennis | | | | Hingis. She also became the first Russian to win the |
| instruction. | | | | event. On her way to the finals, Sharapova pulled off |
| The parents were not rich people yet they took a | | | | stunning three-set victories against Ai Sugiyama (5-7, |
| gamble and followed Navratilova’s advice. | | | | 7-5, 6-1) and Lindsay Davenport (2-6, 7-6, 6-1). |