Maria Sharapova
Born in Nyagan, Russia, Maria Sharapova moved to the United States when she was six years old. At seventeen, Sharapova beat Serena Williams to win Wimbledon. She reached the number-one world ranking at eighteen, and has held that ranking a number of times since. To date, she has won five Grand Slams. She lives in Manhattan Beach, California.
4 Books Written
The rise, and fall, and rise again of tennis sensation Maria SharapovaIn the middle of the night, a father and his daughter step off a Greyhound bus in Florida and head straight to the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy. They ring the bell, though no one is expecting them. They don't speak English. They've arrived from Russia with only $700 and the conviction that this six-year-old will be the next tennis star. Surprisingly, they are right.Young Maria Sharapova went on to become one of the best, most famous, and highest-paid athletes. At seventeen, she won Wimbledon. At eighteen, she was ranked number one. To date, she has won five Grand Slams. Her stardom spills off the court to fashion, philanthropy, food. But at the peak of her popularity, Sharapova faced a new challenge, after testing positive for a banned drug. The backlash was shocking--sponsors fled, fans berated her, and she received a two-year suspension. Despite successfully appealing her sentence, she still faced the battle of maintaining her eminence on the court and her place in fans' hearts. In this gripping autobiography, Sharapova traces her precarious beginnings in Siberia to her controversial doping ban. The same way she plays tennis, she tells her story with a no-holds-barred attitude, fierce and provocative. Sharapova's story transcends the sports genre--this is an inspiring tale of gritty persistence, pulsing with fearlessness and candor, utterly unforgettable.
Maria Sharapova photo book. Over 150 photos printed.
"Am castigat primul turneu profesionist in luna septembrie a acelui an. A fost vorba despre Openul Japoniei. Betsy Nagelsen castigase turneul in 1979, primul an in care participasera si femeile. Era o simetrie frumoasa. In finala am invins-o pe Aniko Kapros, cu un tie-break in cel de-al treilea set. A fost un meci intens, cum nu se putea mai potrivit pentru o prima mare victorie. Am castigat si ultimul turneu din acel an, Challenge Bell din Quebec, si am fost desemnata cea mai buna jucatoare nou-venita in circuitul WTA. Victoriile din tenisul profesionist au fost asa cum spusese tata ca aveau sa fie. Ridicai trofeul, iar oamenii te ovationau, insa doar pentru un moment. Apoi reveneai pe un teren de nicaieri, pe care faceai sprinturi nebune si unde tantarii roiau in jurul tau. Pentru jucatorii profesionisti, pauza dintre sezoane este atat de scurta incat pare o gluma. In tenisul feminin dureaza practic de la finalul lunii octombrie pana la turneele de pregatire care preced Australian Open din ianuarie. Insa in realitate ai doar doua luni de pauza, intre Halloween si Craciun. Pentru mine, cea mai lunga pauza din acea perioada a fost de zece zile, pentru ca, imediat dupa ce loveam ultima minge din sezonul respectiv, ma gandeam la cum aveam sa imbunatatesc prima minge a stagiunii urmatoare. In 2003 am petrecut lunile respective la Los Angeles, lucrand aproape zilnic cu Robert Lansdorp. Trebuia sa pornesc de la experienta acumulata in sezonul precedent, sa-mi imbunatatesc fiecare parte a jocului, chiar si numai putin. In plus, trebuia sa devin mai puternica, mult mai puternica. Acum jucam impotriva unor femei adulte, chiar daca inca eram un copil. Aveam brate si picioare ca niste lujere. Aveam saisprezece ani, dar paream sa am doar doisprezece. Desi incepusem sa castig bani, nu-i cheltuiam decat pe strictul necesar. Locuiam cu parintii intr-un apartament inghesuit, cu doua dormitoare, aflat la marginea orasului Torrance, si incercam sa facem economii.