The ManicaPost
Maria Sharapova returns to Wimbledon with her iron will set on repeating her breakthrough victory of a decade ago.
The Russian became a global star on July 3, 2004, when at just 17 years old, she upset two-time champion Serena Williams to win the title.
Sharapova has come a long way since the moment she knelt on the Centre Court turf in disbelief, before grappling with a mobile phone as she tried to contact her mother. More major titles, serious injury and vast wealth have followed, but 10 years on she arrives at the All England Club having only been back to the final once.
“I need a new challenge and this is going to be it. I want to change this result around,” Sharapova said.
It is easy to forget just how stunning it had been in 2004 to see a teenager who had never been past a Grand Slam quarter-final match the force of nature that was Williams chasing a hat-trick of Wimbledon titles.
“I was not expected to win,” said Sharapova.
“I was a very happy girl to get to the fourth round. I cherished the situation. I had that fearless mentality going into that big stage of my career, playing the final against Serena Williams.”
If the result shook the tennis world, Sharapova’s efforts to call her mother on a mobile phone straight afterwards engaged a wider audience. Tellingly, it would swiftly lead to a deal with a phone company as the endorsement opportunities flooded in.
Guided by Max Eisenbud, the agent who first saw her hitting balls at the Nick Bollettieri academy when she was 12 years old, Sharapova racked up deals with car manufacturers, jewellers, fashion houses and more.
While leaning heavily on Eisenbud, with whom she can share 75 emails a day, the Russian’s famous drive on court is similarly applied to her business dealings. – BBC Sport.
