Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova is a retired professional tennis player who became one of the highest-earning female athletes in history. Born in Nyagan, Russia, she moved to the United States at age seven to train at the IMG Academy in Florida. She burst onto the global stage in 2004 when she defeated Serena Williams to win Wimbledon at just 17 years old, becoming the third-youngest woman to win the prestigious tournament.

Sharapova went on to complete a Career Grand Slam, winning all four major titles: Wimbledon (2004), the US Open (2006), the Australian Open (2008), and the French Open (2012, 2014). She held the world No. 1 ranking five times throughout her career. In 2016, she was suspended for 15 months after testing positive for meldonium, a substance that had recently been added to the banned list. She returned to competition in 2017 but never regained her peak form.

Off the court, Sharapova proved to be an exceptional businesswoman. She launched her candy brand Sugarpova in 2012, which was later rebranded as Sugargoop. Her endorsement portfolio was consistently among the largest in women’s sports, with deals including Nike, Porsche, Evian, and Tag Heuer. At her peak, she earned over $20 million annually from endorsements alone, far exceeding her prize money.

After retiring from professional tennis in February 2020, Sharapova shifted her focus entirely to business and investing. She became an active angel investor in technology and consumer brands, and joined the boards of several companies. Her post-retirement ventures, combined with her career earnings of over $38 million in prize money and hundreds of millions in endorsements, have built a fortune estimated at $195 million.