Maria Sharapova won the Australian Open in 2008 (Image: Getty)
Maria Sharapova has undergone somewhat of a transformation since retiring from her legendary career. The Russian first made her mark in 2004 when she stunned the world by defeating Lindsay Davenport in the final at just 17 years old.
This victory paved the way for a remarkable career that included two French Open titles in 2012 and 2014, a US Open title in 2006 and an triumph in 2008. Despite not being a favourite in the latter, Sharapova defeated former world No. 1 Davenport in the second round and then-top seed Justine Henin in the quarter-finals, ending the Belgian’s 32-match win streak.
After defeating Jelena Jankovic in the semi-finals, she overcame Ana Ivanovic in what was dubbed the ‘Glam Slam’ final, securing her third Grand Slam and her first title at Melbourne Park, without losing a single set. But her success wasn’t limited to the court.
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In 2006, Maxim named the 6ft 2in superstar ‘the hottest athlete in the world’ for four consecutive years. That same year, she featured in a bikini photoshoot for the Valentine’s Day issue of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
Those who remember Sharapova in her heyday might struggle to recognise her in her latest snaps, however. The 37-year-old, who retired five years ago after the 2020 , has, most notably, ditched her signature blonde hair for a darker shade.
Now a regular at fashion events like Paris Fashion Week and the British Fashion Awards, she looks worlds away from her days on the court. Since leaving tennis, Sharapova has carved out a successful business career, joining the Board of Directors for fashion brand Moncler in 2023 and advising brands such as Naked Retail and Bright.
Sharapova had a distinct look during her playing days (Image: Getty Images)
The former tennis star, who has 4.6 million followers, also became a mother in July 2022 with the birth of her son Theodore. Once one of the most marketable athletes in the world, she won £31million in prize money and earned over £230m in sponsorships and endorsements.
However, her career was marred by a 15-month ban after testing positive for the banned substance meldonium at the – which once again proved to be a memorable tournament for the Russian for the wrong reasons in January 2016.
Sharapova took full responsibility for the doping scandal, claiming she innocently consumed the substance as medication while unaware of changes to WADA rules. Sharapova returned to the WTA Tour over a year later, though she was unable to add to her Grand Slam tally of five.
The Russian tennis legend now has brown hair (Image: Instagram/mariasharapova)
She has since made a sporting comeback of some note, playing in John McEnroe’s Pickleball tournament last February. However, Sharapova and McEnroe were defeated by Stefanie Graf and Andre Agassi at Pickleball Slam 2, thereby missing out on the million-dollar prize.
Meanwhile, the is heating up with the remaining women’s quarter-final fixtures set for this Wednesday. Paula Badosa and have already secured their spots in Thursday’s semi-finals at the Rod Laver Arena.
Madison Keys faces Elina Svitolina, while Emma Navarro will take on second seed .