Maria Sharapova

Maria Yuryevna Sharápova (born April 19, 1987) is a Russian professional tennis player who is a former World No. 1. As of April 21, 2008, she is the third-ranked female player in the world and the top ranked Russian female player. At the end of 2006, she was the world's highest-paid female athlete.

Sharapova has won three Grand Slam singles titles. In 2004, she beat Serena Williams to take the Wimbledon title at the age of 17. Two years later, she defeated Justine Henin in the final of the 2006 U.S. Open. At the 2008 Australian Open, she beat Ana Ivanović in the final. Sharapova has been ranked in the top 10 since winning Wimbledon, the longest of any current female tennis player.