Seventeen-year-old Maria Sharapova shocked the tennis world when she won Wimbledon in 2004.
The teenager beat top seed and defending champion Serena Williams to win her first Grand Slam singles title in one of the most memorable finals in history.
Twenty years on, Sportsworld’s Delyth Lloyd looks back on Sharapova’s rise and route to the Wimbledon title with insight from her former doubles partner Tamarine Tanasugarn, her second round opponent Anne Keothavong, and tennis commentator Barry Millns, who commentated on the final for BBC World Service.
After winning Wimbledon, Sharapova went onto win a career Grand Slam and became the highest paid women’s sports star in the world for over a decade.
Forbes reporter Matt Craig shares what it is that made Sharapova so marketable, while Tanasugarn and Keothavong both reflect on Sharapova’s career and legacy.
Image: Maria Sharapova, 17 year old Russian from Siberia who won the women’s singles championship at Wimbledon 2004. (Credit: BBC News & Current Affairs via Getty Images)
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