About Maria Sharapova

Maria Yuryevna Sharapova (shah-RAH-puh-vuh; Russian: born April 19, 1987) is a former World No. 1 Russian professional tennis player.

Her parents are originally from Gomel, Belarus, but moved to Russia in 1986 in the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. Sharapova was born in Nyagan, Russia, the following year. While having Belarusian roots and residing in the USA, Sharapova holds Russian citizenship.

Sharapova's name is pronounced sha-ra-POH-vuh... Nyagan is part of Siberia, hence she got nickname of "the Siberian Siren".

She also has been called "the Queen of Screams" for her habit of grunting loudly while hitting the ball. The Evening Standard claimed to have measured Sharapova's vocalizations at Wimbledon in 2004, and reported that "At its worst, her grunting hit 86.3 decibels - the same as standing beside a high-revving motorcycle, or the screech from a gibbon in the zoo".

According to the WTA Tour website, Sharapova "Enjoys reading books in the Sherlock Holmes and Pippi Longstocking series."

FHM Magazine ranked Sharapova eighth among the "100 Sexiest Women in the World" in its 2006 List, up from her 36th placement in the previous year's edition.