Maria Yuryevna Sharapova (born April 19, 1987) is a Russian professional tennis player who is currently ranked World No. 1 but will lose this ranking to Ana Ivanovic when the rankings are updated on June 9, 2008.She 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 Ivanovic in the final. Sharapova has been ranked in the top 10 since winning Wimbledon in 2004, the longest of any current female tennis player.At the end of 2006, Sharapova was the world's highest-paid female athlete.

Maria Sharapova has a lot going for her. She began playing tennis at a very young age. By the time she was nine she had moved to Bradenton, Florida, (where she currently resides) to train at Nick Bollettieri's Tennis Academy. Aside from helping to hone Sharapova's skills, Bollettieri is also responsible for the success of many other tennis stars, such as Andre Agassi, Monica Seles, and Venus and Serena Williams.

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Maria Sharapova began climbing the ranks in the World Tennis Association (WTA), earning her first tournament title in Japan in 2003. Her crowning moment came in 2004, when she won Wimbledon at a mere 17 year of age, solidifying a consistent spot in the top five. Off the court she is known for her looks. She often takes modeling jobs and works on her endorsements, the likes of which include Motorola, Canon and Honda Japan. The attractive six-foot-tall blond often draws comparisons to fellow Russian tennis-pro-turned-model Anna Kournikova, but her skills on the court are what set the two apart.

In just the past two years she has become the poster child for women's tennis. Billboards promoting the sport feature giant images of Sharapova as "Maria Mania" sweeps the globe. She has become the top-draw in the sport, ushering in a new era of rising stars and helping to broaden the field after years of Williams sisters' dominance. 2005 finds Sharapova on pace to take in over $20 million, most of which will come from her endorsements--the most recent a three-year $6 million deal with Colgate-Palmolive. But it is tennis where her focus lies. She carries with her a streak of 17 straight wins on grass heading into Wimbledon 2005, where she will defend her 2004 championship at the prestigious event.

Nickname - Masha

Country - Russia

Residence - Bradenton, Florida, U.S.

Date of birth - April 19, 1987 (1987-04-19)

Place of birth - Nyagan, Soviet Union

Height - 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)

Weight - 59.1 kg (130 lb/9.31 st)

Turned Pro - April 19, 2001

Plays - Right-handed; two-handed backhand

Career Prize Money - US$12,030,153

Singles Career record: 300-68

Career titles: 19

Highest ranking: 1 (August 22, 2005)

Grand Slam results Australian Open W (2008) French Open SF (2007) Wimbledon W (2004) US Open W (2006)

Doubles Career record: 23-16

Career titles: 3 Highest ranking: 41 (June 14, 2004)