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Maria Sharapova, the most recognizable and highest paid female athlete in the world, has officially entered the 2007 Family Circle Cup. At only nineteen years old, this two-time Grand Slam champion returns to Charleston with stellar career marks including 15 singles titles, a 239-56 win-loss record and over $9 million in winnings.
Yesterday she regained the World No. 1 ranking, marking the 8th week in her career that she has held the top spot in women’s professional tennis. Since computer rankings were started in 1973, only 15 women have achieved the status of World No. 1 on the women’s professional tennis tour.
This year, the Family Circle Cup is proud to feature four members of that elite club who will be joining a host of other top players battling for one of the most coveted trophies in women’s tennis. With the addition of World No. 1 Maria Sharapova, this year’s Family Circle Cup player field now boasts four of the top five players in the world including Justine Henin-Hardenne, Amélie Mauresmo and Svetlana Kuznetsova. The 2007 Family Circle Cup is scheduled for April 7th-15th at the Family Circle Tennis Center in Charleston, South Carolina.
“Maria is one of the most sought-after players on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, and her commitment to play this event takes the Family Circle Cup to a whole new level,” commented Robin Reynolds, Family Circle Cup Tournament Director. “Not only is she the world’s top female player, but Maria is also a celebrity that transcends tennis, and we are very pleased that she’ll be here in April.”
“I have very pleasant memories of my trip to Charleston four years ago and I’m looking forward to playing in the tournament and enjoying some time in the city,” noted reigning US Open Champion / World No. 1 player Maria Sharapova. “The Family Circle Cup has a great reputation on the Tour, especially with the players, so I’m excited to be coming back and starting my clay court season at such a wonderful event.”
Maria Sharapova first competed in the Family Circle Cup as a World No. 167 ranked qualifier in 2003 where she reached the first round of the main draw. Her first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour victory came later that year at the Japan Open, then another in Quebec City, which propelled her through the rankings to finish at No. 32 in the world.
Sharapova thrust herself onto a world stage in 2004 when she claimed her first major title as the second youngest ladies champion in the open era at Wimbledon, then won the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Championships leading to a year-end career-high No. 4 ranking. She also received two major awards that year including the WTA Tour’s “Player of the Year” and “Most Improved Player of the Year”.
She repeated as the World’s No. 4 player in 2005 by reaching the quarterfinals or better in all 15 events in which she competed (including all four Grand Slams), winning three finals including her first Tier I title at Tokyo (Pan Pacific), reaching the semifinals of the Tour Championships, and becoming the 15th player in history to appear at the No. 1 spot which she held for a total of 7 weeks that year.
Sharapova’s best year to date came in 2006 as she earned a year-end World No. 2 ranking by reaching the semifinals or better in 13 of 15 starts, claiming 5 titles including three Tier I events and her second major at the US Open, and completed a 19-match win streak with a semifinal appearance at the Tour Championships. Her 59 match wins (second best in 2006) helped her to surpass the 200 career victory mark as she became the highest-earning Russian in Tour history, in addition to being named the Whirlpool “6th Sense Player of the Year”.
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