Maria Sharapova's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Maria Sharapova.

Maria Sharapova is a retired Russian professional tennis player. She achieved the world No. 1 ranking by the WTA for 21 weeks and secured 36 WTA Tour-level singles titles. A defining aspect of her career is her accomplishment of winning five major titles and the 2004 WTA Tour Championships. Notably, she is one of only ten women to have completed a career Grand Slam in singles, marking her as a significant figure in tennis history.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

1985: Last Time Player Won Back-to-Back Double Bagels

In the 2013 Australian Open, Sharapova became the first player to win in back-to-back double bagels since the 1985 Australian Open.

November 2000: Won Eddie Herr International Junior Tennis Championships

In November 2000, Maria Sharapova won the Eddie Herr International Junior Tennis Championships in the girls' 16 division at the age of 13, receiving the Rising Star Award.

2001: Last Time a Third Set Was Contested

The 2014 French Open was the first time since 2001 that a third set was contested in the final.

October 2002: Reached No. 6 in ITF Junior World Singles Ranking

On 21 October 2002, Maria Sharapova reached No. 6 in the ITF junior world singles ranking, marking a significant achievement in her junior career.

2003: First Full Season as a Professional and WTA Newcomer of the Year

In 2003, Maria Sharapova played a full season, climbed into the top 50, captured her first WTA title at the Japan Open Tennis Championships, won the Bell Challenge, and was awarded the WTA Newcomer of the Year honor.

2004: Wimbledon Championship win with Prince More Attack 920

In 2004, Maria Sharapova began the season using the Prince More Attack 920 racquet, which she then used to win the prestigious Wimbledon Championships. She later gifted this racquet to Regis Philbin during a taping of Live with Regis and Kelly.

2004: 2004 WTA Tour Championships

In 2004, Maria Sharapova won the WTA Tour Championships, showcasing her prowess on the court.

2004: 2004 Wimbledon Championships Victory

In 2004, at the age of 17, Maria Sharapova won the Wimbledon Championships, defeating Serena Williams, who was the two-time defending champion at the time.

April 2005: People's Most Beautiful Celebrities

In April 2005, People magazine named Sharapova one of the 50 most beautiful celebrities in the world.

August 2005: First World No. 1 Ranking

In August 2005, at the age of 18, Maria Sharapova became the world No. 1, marking her as the first Russian woman to achieve the top singles ranking.

August 2005: First Asian and Russian Woman to Hold World No. 1 Ranking

On 22 August 2005, Maria Sharapova became the first Asian and Russian woman to hold the world No. 1 ranking. However, she held the ranking for only one week.

September 2005: Regained World No. 1 Ranking

On 12 September 2005, Maria Sharapova leapfrogged Lindsay Davenport to take the world No. 1 ranking again after the US Open.

2005: Forbes Celebrity 100

From 2005 to 2011, Sharapova was named to the Forbes Celebrity 100, which attempts to compile the top 100 most powerful celebrities of that year.

2005: Maria Sharapova ranked number 1

From 2005 to 2012, Maria Sharapova was ranked number 1 for 21 weeks.

March 2006: Highest-Paid Female Athlete

In March 2006, Forbes magazine listed Sharapova as the highest-paid female athlete in the world, with annual earnings of over US$18 million.

2006: 2006 Season Summary

In 2006, Sharapova lost in the semifinals of the Australian Open to Henin, claimed her first title in nine months at the Tier I tournament in Indian Wells, defeating Hingis in the semifinals and Elena Dementieva in the final, and reached the final in Miami before losing to Kuznetsova.

February 2007: Appointed UNDP Goodwill Ambassador

On February 14, 2007, Sharapova was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and donated US$210,000 to UNDP Chernobyl-recovery projects.

2007: Continued Top Ranking Despite Injury

Sharapova topped Forbes' list of highest-paid female athletes every year until 2016, even after her 2007 shoulder injury.

February 2008: Fed Cup Debut

In February 2008, Sharapova made her Fed Cup debut in Russia's quarterfinal tie against Israel, winning both of her singles matches.

August 2008: Sharapova's ranking

In August 2008, Sharapova was at her highest ranking since comeback from her shoulder injury.

2008: Sharapova Finishes Top-10

In 2008, Sharapova had her first top-10 finish since 2011 and first top-5 finish since 2007.

2008: 2008 Australian Open Title

Maria Sharapova won the 2008 Australian Open, demonstrating her continued success in major championships.

2009: First Red Clay Title

In 2009, Sharapova won her first red clay title at the Internationaux de Strasbourg.

January 2010: Nike Contract Renewal

In January 2010, it was announced that Sharapova had renewed her contract with Nike, signing an 8-year deal for $70 million, the most lucrative deal ever for a sportswoman.

2010: Return to More Elongated Motion

From 2010, Sharapova returned to a more elongated motion, similar to her pre-surgery serve. She was able to produce speeds greater than before, including a 121 mph serve at the Birmingham tournament.

June 2011: Named One of the "30 Legends of Women's Tennis: Past, Present and Future" by Time

In June 2011, Maria Sharapova was named one of the "30 Legends of Women's Tennis: Past, Present and Future" by Time.

2011: Sharapova Wins Italian Open and Reaches French Open Semifinals in 2011

During the clay-court season in 2011, Sharapova won the Italian Open, marking her biggest clay-court victory. At the French Open, she reached the semifinals, losing to Li Na.

2011: Forbes Top-Paid Athletes List

In 2011, Forbes listed Sharapova as No. 29 in their list of 50 top-paid athletes, the only woman on the list.

2011: Forbes Celebrity 100 Listing Ends

Sharapova's listing on the Forbes Celebrity 100 ended in 2011, after being named to the list from 2005-2011.

March 2012: Named One of the "100 Greatest of All Time" by Tennis Channel

In March 2012, Maria Sharapova was named one of the "100 Greatest of All Time" by Tennis Channel.

2012: Continued Success in Stuttgart in 2012

In 2012, Maria Sharapova continued her successful run at the Stuttgart tournament, marking the beginning of her three-year win streak at the event.

2012: French Open win with Head Instinct line

In 2012, Maria Sharapova won the French Open using Head's Instinct line of racquets.

2012: 2012 French Open Title and Olympic Silver Medal

In 2012, Maria Sharapova won the French Open, completing her career Grand Slam, and also won an Olympic silver medal in women's singles at the London Olympics.

2012: Sharapova Wins Silver Medal at 2012 Summer Olympics

In 2012, Sharapova made her Olympic debut at the London Summer Olympics. She defeated Maria Kirilenko to reach the Olympic final, where she was defeated by Serena Williams, winning a silver medal and becoming world No. 2.

2012: Forbes Top-Paid Athletes Ranking

In 2012, Sharapova was listed as No. 15 on Forbes' list of top-paid athletes, and was joined in the top 20 by Li Na at No. 16 and Serena Williams at No. 17.

2012: Sharapova Wins French Open and Completes Career Grand Slam in 2012

In 2012, Sharapova won the French Open, her fourth career Grand Slam title, allowing her to regain the world No. 1 ranking. She became only the tenth woman to complete a Career Grand Slam with the French Open victory. During the tournament, Sharapova was asked to bear the flag at the opening ceremony for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

2013: Continued Success in Stuttgart in 2013

In 2013, Maria Sharapova achieved another victory at the Stuttgart tournament, contributing to her three-year win streak at the event.

2014: Continued Success in Stuttgart in 2014

In 2014, Maria Sharapova completed her three-year winning streak at the Stuttgart tournament, marking another significant achievement in her career.

2014: First US Open Win since 2014

In 2014, Maria Sharapova had her first US Open win since 2014 after winning against world No. 2, Simona Halep.

2014: Second French Open Title

In 2014, Maria Sharapova secured her second French Open title, marking her fifth major championship overall.

2014: French Open win with Head Instinct line

In 2014, Maria Sharapova won the French Open again using Head's Instinct line of racquets.

2014: Torch Bearer for Sochi Winter Olympics

In 2014, Sharapova helped to promote the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and was the first torch bearer in the torch-lighting ceremony during the opening festivities.

2014: Highest Winning Percentage on Clay

In 2014, Sharapova led the WTA Tour with the highest winning percentage on clay among active players, with an 84.25% winning rate.

2015: Sharapova's 2015 Season Kickoff

In 2015, Maria Sharapova started her season at the Brisbane International as the top seed, eventually winning the title against Ana Ivanovic. This victory marked her tenth win over Ivanovic and secured her 34th title, extending her streak of winning at least one title every year for 13 consecutive years.

2015: First WTA Title since 2015

In 2015, Maria Sharapova won the Tianjin Open, marking her first WTA title since 2015, after making a comeback from 1-4 in the first set and 1-5 in the second set against Aryna Sabalenka in the final.

2015: First grasscourt win since 2015 at the Mallorca Open

In 2015, Sharapova secured her first grasscourt win since 2015 at the Mallorca Open, defeating Viktória Kužmová. However, her run ended in the second round against Angelique Kerber. She ended the year ranked No. 131, her lowest year-end ranking since 2002.

2016: End of Forbes Top Ranking

In 2016, Sharapova's run as the highest-paid female athlete, as ranked by Forbes, came to an end.

April 2017: Sharapova's Return to Tennis in April 2017

In April 2017, Maria Sharapova made her comeback to the WTA Tour, receiving wildcards to compete in the Stuttgart Open, Madrid Open, and Italian Open. She won her first match against Roberta Vinci at the Porsche Grand Prix after her suspension.