She has been ranked world No.
Since February 2007, she has been a United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador, concerned specifically with the Chernobyl Recovery and Development Programme.
Unlike some other tennis babes, Maria Sharapova became famous for an aggressive, hard-hitting style, with her hits accompanied by such loud grunts and screeches that her opponents have accused her of cheating to distract them.
Despite an injury-prone career, Sharapova has achieved a rare level of longevity in the women's game.
Sharapova and her father traveled to America when she was six to attend tennis clinics, and she turned professional at the age of 14.
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