Maria Sharapova, who won Wimbledon as a 17-year-old in 2004, has undergone a dramatic transformation since retiring from tennis in 2020, which has left a number of fans shocked
Fans were left astounded by Maria Sharapova’s recent transformation when she appeared at an event earlier this week, a stark contrast to her renowned days on the tennis court.
The 38 year old, who took her final professional bow in 2020, first captured hearts as the teenager who took down top-seeded Serena Williams for the Wimbledon championship at just 17. Known for her iconic blond hair during her playing days, Sharapova has since embraced a brunette look that has fans barely recognising her half a decade after retiring.At the 60th anniversary bash for Hotel II Pellicano in Monte Argentario, Italy, which she attended with British businessman fiancé Alex Gilkes on Monday, snapshots of her new appearance sparked comments from followers who labelled her “unrecognisable”.
Sharapova forged an illustrious career beyond her youthful Wimbledon success, going on to grasp all four Grand Slam crowns. She claimed the US Open in 2006 and followed it up with an Australian Open win in 2008, while achieving double glory at the French Open in 2012 and 2014 amidst a run to the final the previous year.
Adding to her accolades, Sharapova nabbed an Olympic silver medal at the London Games in 2012, once again facing off against Williams in the women’s singles final at the All England Club, reports Wales Online.
In addition to her early Wimbledon triumph, making her the third-youngest woman to do so, Sharapova also carved her name in history as the first Russian to secure a career Grand Slam.
Her achievements spanned beyond the court as she was lauded “the hottest athlete in the world” by Maxim for a striking four years on the trot.
The ace wasn’t just a hit with the racket; Forbes included her in their run-down of the Earth’s top 100 most influential celebs from 2005 to 2011, and she even strutted her stuff for Sports Illustrated.
Yet, Sharapova’s storied career took a hit in 2016 after she was benched for 15 months – initially set at two years – for a meldonium-related drug test failure. Despite admitting the blunder, she insisted it was an innocent mistake, following her GP’s advice, unaware of its ban by WADA.
Post-court life has been rich for Sharapova, an Instagram sensation with 4.6 million followers, revelling in opulent getaways with fiancé Gilkes, to whom she got engaged in December 2020.
Come July 2022, they celebrated the arrival of wee Theodore, proudly heralded in Sharapova’s Instagram intro as ‘Mama’.
Tennis glory aside – with a mighty £31 million pocketed – Sharapova dived into the business pool headfirst, creating her sweet brand Sugarpova and backing sunscreen company supergoop during her playing peak.
But retirement hasn’t slowed her enterprising spirit; she’s thrown capital behind wellness outfit therabody and, in 2022, snagged a seat on the board of high-fashion powerhouse Moncler.
Sharapova also serves as an advisor to brands Naked Retail and Bright, whilst she has invested in a number of other companies including UFC, Tonal, Public.com, Moonpay and Clio Snacks.