Beyond Tennis, Know More About Sharapova on Her 34th Birthday

Sharapova turned pro when she was just 14, and has since built an empire around her name.

Maria Sharapova turns 34 on Wednesday.

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook/Maria Sharapova)

She’s a five-time Grand Slam Champion, one of only six women to win all four slams in the open era, but there’s more to Maria Sharapova than just tennis. On her 34th birthday, we trace her journey after she became a tennis sensation.

Sharapova started playing tennis when she was extremely young, turning pro when she was just 14. She went on to beat Serena Williams three years later in the 2004 Wimbledon final to win her maiden Grand Slam.

But those were just the first few steps of building an entire empire around her name. Besides winning almost $300 million in prize money, appearances and endorsements, Sharapova signed an eight-year agreement with Nike worth $70 million in 2010.

In 2012, she founded Sugarpova – a candy brand estimated to be worth $20 million by 2018.

During her 2-year doping ban, later reduced to 15 months, Sharapova enrolled at Harvard Business School, interned at NBA and invested in Charly – a digital platform.

She retired from tennis in February 2020. In a goodbye letter to tennis, writing for Vanity Fair, she said, "That relentless chase for victories, though? That won’t ever diminish. No matter what lies ahead, I will apply the same focus, the same work ethic, and all of the lessons I’ve learned along the way."