Maria Sharapova's Tennis Equipment, Gear, and Accessories

Maria Yuryevna Sharapova was born 19 April 1987 in Nyagan, Russia, and began playing tennis at age 4. At age 6 she took part in a Moscow tennis exhibition that featured Martina Navratilova and then moved to the Bollettieri Academy to train at the age of 9. Maria won her first WTA Singles match at the age of 14, and won her first Grand Slam Singles title at Wimbledon in 2004. She reached the WTA number 1 ranking in 2005 and has finished in the top 10 rankings 11 times. Although Maria has made history in tennis, she is also noted for her business interests, which include fashion design for Cole Haan and Nike, a line of candy called Sugarpova, and a line of jewelry at Tiffany & Co. Additionally, she has given a lot of time and money to charity, including the Maria Sharapova Foundation and her work as a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Development Program, donating over $100,000 to Gomel area of Belarus affected by Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster in 1986, and launching a $210,000 scholarship program for students in the Chernobyl area. Sharapova loves Thai food, crepes, watching movies, singing, and dancing.