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SINGLES
Winner (4 WTA Tour): 2004 - Birmingham, Wimbledon; 2003 - Tokyo
[Japan Open], Quebec City; 2002 - ITF/Gunma-JPN, ITF/Vancouver-CAN,
ITF/Peachtree City-USA.
Semifinalist (3): 2004 - Memphis; 2003 - Birmingham, Luxembourg.
Quarterfinalist (2): 2004 - Roland Garros; 2003 - Shanghai.
DOUBLES
Winner (3): 2004 - Birmingham (w/Kirilenko); 2003 - Tokyo [Japan
Open] (w/Tanasugarn), Luxembourg (w/Tanasugarn).
Final (1): 2004 - Memphis (w/Zvonareva).
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2001
- Debuted at ITF/Sarasota-USA
2002 - In third pro event, received WC into Indian Wells unranked,
aged 14 years, 10 months; d. No. 302 Rippner in 1r (l. to Seles);
debuted on WTA Rankings on March 18 at No. 532; reached final at five
consecutive ITF Circuit events, winning first three; received WC into
Tokyo [Japan Open] (l. 1r to Gagliardi in 3s); first year-end ranking
of No. 186
2003 - Breakthrough season, improving 154 spots to No. 32; qualified
for first Grand Slams at Australian Open and Roland Garros (d. Beygelzimer
in final qualifying round 86 third set after trailing 76(6) 51); after
reaching first Tour SF at Birmingham as a qualifier (d. world No.
15 Dementieva in QF; l. to Asagoe 76 third set), broke into Top 100
on June 16 at No. 88; at Wimbledon, equaled best showing by female
WC in reaching 4r (preceded by Garrison-1982, A. Smith-1985 and S.
Smith-1998); d. world No. 22 Bovina in 2r and No. 12 Dokic in 3r (career-best
win to date) before falling to compatriot Kuznetsova 75 third set;
was youngest of five Russians in Wimbledon 4r (a Grand Slam record);
extended world No. 2 Clijsters to 3s in Los Angeles 3r; following
2r US Open exit, reached first Tier II QF at Shanghai (l. to Dementieva)
then at Tokyo [Japan Open] picked up career-first Tour singles and
doubles titles; in singles, d. Kapros in final after trailing 5-2
in third-set tie-break, having held 2 mp at 5-4 third set, becoming
youngest winner on Tour in 2003 (aged 16 years, five months, 16 days);
won doubles with first-time partner Tanasugarn; extended win streak
with Tanasugarn to eight with doubles title at Luxembourg, where she
reached singles SF (l. to Clijsters); in final event of season, seeded
No. 2 at Quebec City, won second Tour singles title (Sequera ret.
in final with left ankle fracture after l. first set 62); on Nov.
3, reached career-high singles ranking of No. 31; on ITF Circuit,
won ITF/Sea Island-USA
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January
- As world No. 32 and No. 28 seed, l. 3r at Australian Open in 3s
to No. 7 Myskina (No. 6 seed)
February - As world No. 27 at Tokyo [Pan Pacific], d. No. 135 WC Yoshida
before l. 2r to No. 32 Hantuchova (No. 8 seed); on February 16, cracked
world Top 25 at No. 25; as world No. 25 at Memphis, reached SF before
l. to No. 12 top-seed and eventual champion Zvonareva; reached Memphis
doubles final w/Zvonareva; reached career-high world No. 22 on February
23
March - At Indian Wells, as world No. 24 and No. 16 seed with a 1r
bye, l. 4r to No. 5 Myskina (No. 4 seed); as world No. 23 and No.
17 seed with a 1r bye, d. No. 50 Asagoe and No. 19 Smashnova-Pistolesi
(No. 13 seed), l. 4r to former world No. 1 top-seed, two-time defending
and eventual three-peat champion S. Williams (using a SR of No. 2)
April - Entered world Top 20 on April 5 at No. 19 (one of six Russians
that week in Top 20)
May - At Berlin, as world No. 22 and No. 17 seed, reached 3r before
l. 57 64 61 to former world No. 1 Capriati (current No. 8 and No.
6 seed); as world No. 19 at Rome, upset No. 10 Dementieva (No. 6 seed
with a 1r bye) in her opening match, l. 3r to No. 16 Farina Elia (No.
10 seed); at Roland Garros, as world No. 20 and No. 18 seed, upset
No. 13 compatriot Zvonareva (No. 10 seed) en route to first Grand
Slam QF appearance (only sixth Grand Slam overall); by reaching Roland
Garros QF-round with eventual finalist Dementieva and eventual champion
Myskina, marked first time in Open Era that three Russian women advanced
to a Grand Slam QF
June - Swept singles and doubles titles at Birmingham (for second
sweep in career following 2003 Tokyo [Japan Open]); after entering
world Top 20 two months earlier, broke into Top 15 on June 7 at No.
15, the same week she won Birmingham as No. 3 seed (d. No. 71 Golovin
in final), her third WTA Tour singles title (third appearance in a
final, first title on grass and first title of season); singles final
was third youngest in Open Era with champion Sharapova at 17 years,
2 months and Golovin at 16 years, 5 months for a combined age of 33
years, 7 months, behind 1991 San Diego (33 years, 0 months) - champion
Capriati (15 years, 4 months) d. Seles (17 years, 8 months) and 1980
Tampa (33 years, 4 months) - champion Jaeger (15 years, 5 months)
d. Austin (17 years, 11 months); won Birmingham doubles w/Kirilenko
as a WC team; withdrew from Eastbourne for rest and recovery; won
Wimbledon (in career-first Grand Slam final) as world No. 15 and No.
13 seed, eliminating two former No. 1s back-to-back: current No. 5
1999 champion Davenport in SF (Davenport led led 62 31) and current
No. 10 two-time defending champion S. Williams in the final (ending
her 20 match Wimbledon win streak), becoming the second youngest ladies
singles champion in Open Era (at 17 years, 2 months, after Hingis
at 16 years, 9 months in 1997), the third-youngest all-time (behind
Hingis and Dod at 15 years, 9 months in 1887) and first-ever Russian
(second Russian to earn a Grand Slam title, following Myskina at 2004
Roland Garros); was sixth-youngest Grand Slam finalist in Open Era
and fourth-youngest winner behind Hingis, Seles and Austin; prior
to 2004 Wimbledon, Sharapova had not reached a Tier I or Tier II SF;
in Wimbledon championship match, Sharapova jumped to a 5-1 first-set
lead, winning on fourth set point, and handing Williams her first
61 set loss at Wimbledon; with Birmingham and Wimbledon titles, had
a perfect 12-0 grass season
July - On July 5, surpassed $1 million in single-season prize money
and broke into Top 10 at No. 8
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Coached
by her father and Robert Lansdorp...Started hitting tennis balls at
age four; at six, participated in exhibition in Moscow that featured
Martina Navratilova; began training at Nick Bollettieri’s Tennis Academy
in Bradenton, Florida, USA, at age nine (which required a two-year
separation from mother due to visa restrictions and finances)...Off-court
interests include fashion, singing, jazz dancing and movies (favorite
is Pearl Harbor)...In second year of high school and studies via an
Internet school...Enjoys reading books in the Sherlock Holmes and
Pippi Longstocking series...Favors Russian music and food, Russian
food (except for Italian bread)...Says favorite dessert is “anything”...Signed
with IMG Models in November 2003.
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•
Nominated for Laureus World Newcomer of the Year Award (to be presented
May 2004 for outstanding achievements in sport from previous 12 months)
• In 2003, profiled in W magazine and USA Today, named one of the
"coolest girls" in America by YM magazine and ‘On the Move’ by People
Magazine in a September issue, appeared on CBS-TV Craig Kilborn Show
November 20
• In 2002, appeared on Teen People’s list of 20 teens who will change
the world and named by SPORT Magazine as one of 21 athletes to watch
for in the 21st Century
• Finalist at 2002 Junior Australian Open
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