Winning Wimbledon at the age of 17 was the turning point that helped Maria Sharapova become a money-making machine in the women’s tennis world.
According to Forbes magazine, the fortune of Masha, who announced her retirement on February 26, is 325 million USD . This huge number comes from tournament prizes and sponsorship contracts with many famous brands. In the women’s tennis world, Masha’s total income is only behind American legend Serena Williams with 350 million USD .
Sharapova changed her life in 2004 after winning Wimbledon. The Russian was just 17 years old and defeated Serena Williams. Before winning her first Grand Slam, Masha had only two sponsors. However, things changed quickly after that.
Thanks to her Wimbledon win, Sharapova became a face that attracted many sponsors. One after another, big brands sought out the Russian star. Sharapova’s annual income skyrocketed over time, from $3 million /year to $18 million /year.
Sharapova is not just a “mobile vase”. She has real talent. This tennis player has collected all 4 Grand Slam titles on different courts. Thanks to that, Masha has a very high income from prize money, only behind Serena Williams and Venus Williams. Other legends like Kim Clijsters, Steffi Graf can only look at her junior with admiration.
At one point, Sharapova became the highest paid female tennis player in the WTA system, earning $500,000 for a single event. Not only beautiful and talented, Masha is also very good at business. In 2012, she launched a product line called Sugarpova candy. The brand then quickly progressed, expanding into the fields of fashion and jewelry.
Before being involved in a doping scandal in 2016, Sharapova’s personal page attracted more than 15 million followers. In 2015, her income was said to have reached 30 million USD . Later, when Masha’s career was no longer as successful as before, she still became a beloved face of many brands.
In 2019, Sharapova played only 15 matches in total and dropped to 373rd in the world. The most recent tournament she attended was the 2020 Australian Open, where Masha was eliminated in the first round. Sharapova’s retirement from tennis left many fans with regrets. Everyone will no longer see a beautiful, talented and money-making player who is among the “super” in women’s tennis.
Fans often joke that Sharapova’s prize money from losing tournaments is only two people’s, but it is above many people. According to Forbes , the 32-year-old tennis player pocketed 38 million USD in prize money, the third highest of all time, only behind Serena Williams ( 88 million USD ) and Venus Williams ( 41 million USD ).