Maria Sharapova was one of the most famous sportspeople on the planet during her legendary career - but has undergone somewhat of a transformation since hanging up her racket. After bursting onto the scene in 2004 she became the darling of Wimbledon , beating Lindsey Davenport in the final at the age of just 17. It proved the platform for a storybook career, latter winning two French Open titles, as well as both the Australian and US Open - to go with Olympic gold in 2012.
But it wasn't just on the court where she won awards and honours. In 2006, Maxim ranked the Russian star 'the hottest athlete in the world ' for four straight years. That same year, she posed in a bikini photoshoot spread in the 2006 Valentine's Day issue of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue .
But those who followed the star in her heyday would have to look twice at her latest pictures on Instagram . Sharapova retired more than four years ago following the 2020 Australian Open , and looks considerably different from her last on-court action. The 37-year-old has ditched her famous blonde look, now a sporting a much darker hairdo.
She posed for snaps at the Monaco Grand Prix last year, looking completely different from her tennis playing days. Sharapova has successfully gone into business since walking away from the sport, and last year became a member of member of Board of Directors of fashion brand Moncler. Numerous other ventures include her acting as an advisor to brands like Naked Retail and Bright.
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