Maria Sharapova Hot Images

Name : Maria Sharapova
Birthdate : April 19, 1987
Birthplace : Nyagan, Russia (Siberian Region)
Height : 6' (1.83 m)
Weight : 130 lbs. (59 kg)
Nationality : Russia
Plays : Right-handed
Best Known As : 17-year-old singles champion of Wimbledon 2004

Maria Yuryevna Sharápova (born April 19, 1987) is a Russian professional tennis player who is a former World No. 1. As of May 12, 2008, she is the second-ranked female player in the world and the top ranked Russian female player. At the end of 2006, she was the world's highest-paid female athlete.

Sharapova has won three Grand Slam singles titles. In 2004, she beat Serena Williams to take the Wimbledon title at the age of 17. Two years later, she defeated Justine Henin in the final of the 2006 U.S. Open. At the 2008 Australian Open, she beat Ana Ivanović in the final. Sharapova has been ranked in the top 10 since winning Wimbledon, the longest of any current female tennis player. On Monday 19th May 2008 Sharapova will reclaim the world number 1 ranking due to the sudden retirement of Justine Henin.

Maria is coached by her father Yuri Sharapov and Robert Lansdorp. Maria's mother's name is Yelena. Maria Sharapova started playting tennis when she was four years old, at six she participated in an exhibition match in Moscow that featured Martina Navratilova. Maria Sharapova began training at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida, USA, at age nine, which required a two-year separation from her mother due to visa restrictions and financial difficulties. Maria's interests include fashion, singing, dancing and going to the movies... Favorites include Mona Lisa Smile, Something's Gotta Give and Love Actually. Maria also enjoys reading books within the Sherlock Holmes and Pippi Longstocking series. Maria likes Russian and Thai food. Maria's favorite dessert is French crepes with Nutella... Maria Sharapova's favorite drinks are orangina and virgin strawberry daiquiris. Maria Sharapova signed with IMG Models in November 2003. After winning the 2004 WTA year ending championships Maria received a $1,000,000 as well as a Porsche Cayenne S. Following her 2004 Wimbledon win over Serena Williams she appeared on NBC's Today Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, the Mike and Mike Show on ESPN Radio, Entertainment Tonight, Inside Edition, ESPN's SportsCenter, Fox and Friends, ESPN's Cold Pizza, the CBS Early Show, MTV's TRL, featured in Inside Edition, Access Hollywood and the WTA Magazine Show.

Maria announced 18th of september that she is launching a $210,000 scholarship programme for students from Chernobyl-affected areas of Belarus. The programme is a joint initiative of the Maria Sharapova Foundation and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), where she serves as Goodwill Ambassador. The scholarships will enable 12 talented young people from Chernobyl-affected regions to follow a full course of studies at two leading universities in Belarus.

Maria's foundation has already contributed $100,000 to youth-oriented projects in the regions of Belarus, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine affected by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident.

Maria was expected to travel to Belarus to launch the scholarship programme in person this month, but was forced to postpone her visit in order to receive medical treatment for a shoulder injury that prevented her from participating in the Beijing Olympics and the US Open. Her visit is now planned for 2009.

"It has always been my dream to contribute to the recovery of a region where I have a personal connection," said Maria, who has family roots in Gomel, Belarus. "Enabling talented young people to pursue higher education is part of a broader effort to build a brighter future for the region."

"UNDP is honoured to count Maria Sharapova among its Goodwill Ambassadors," commented Kemal Derviş, UNDP Administrator. "Her engagement helps to convey a message of optimism to young people in a once-blighted region where a return to normal life is now a realistic prospect."

The Maria Sharapova Foundation Scholarship for Youth from the Chernobyl-Affected Areas of Belarus -- as the programme is called -- will award five-year scholarships consisting of annual cash grants to 12 students at the Belarusian State Academy of Arts and the Belarusian State University. The programme aims to assist talented students who might otherwise not have an opportunity to attend university. The Maria Sharapova Foundation will select the scholarship winners from shortlists prepared by the universities, working together with UNDP and the Ministry of Emergencies of Belarus, which is responsible for Chernobyl programmes. Three incoming students will be awarded scholarships each year, over an initial four-year period. It is the first instance in Belarus in which an international non-government organization will provide support of this type to education. The first scholarship recipients will begin their studies in September 2009.

Enter your email address here to get new updates of this site