Maria Sharapova Latest Pictures -1

Born: April 19, 1987, Nyagan, Russia

Height: 1.88 m

Weight: 59 kg

Grand slams: 4

Nationality: Russian

Parents: Yelena Sharapova, Yuri Sharapov

Maria Sharapova was born on April 19, 1987, in Nyagan, Russia. She started playing tennis at an early age and turned professional at the age of 14. Sharapova won Wimbledon in 2004 against Serena Williams and has gone on to win the US Open and Australian Open. In 2012, she won the French Open, becoming the 10th woman to complete a career Grand Slam. 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.

Early Life

Tennis player Maria Sharapova was born on April 19, 1987, in Nyagan, Siberia, Russia. Sharapova began playing tennis as a young child, and at age 9 was taken by her father to Florida, where she enrolled at a tennis academy.

Turning Pro

Sharapova turned professional at 14, claimed her first WTA victory at the 2003 AIG Japan Open and also reached the fourth round at Wimbledon on her first attempt during the same year. Success came in 2004 when she won the singles title there, becoming Russia's first woman Wimbledon champion. At the end of 2004 she added the WTA Championship title to her achievements. She was ranked number 4 at the start of 2006 and that year won the US Open.