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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Joe Faretra, US Audience Writer & Clare McCarthy

Former 'World's Hottest Athlete' Maria Sharapova looks unrecognisable as she embraces new endeavours

Tennis star Maria Sharapova looks unrecognisable since ditching her tennis career, to become a businesswoman, mum, and mentoring women entrepreneurs and sports stars.

According to Forbes when the 36-year-old retired from tennis in 2020, her $39 million (€35 million) in prize money was third on the WTA Tour all-time list; she made over $300 million more (€274 million, pre-tax) off the court.

Since her retirement from the sport, the 6ft 2in beauty has made significant inroads into increasing her fortune, as well as switching her hair colour, which has transformed her appearance, the Daily Star reports.

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Her most recent post on Instagram sees her with a breezy outfit composed of a bra, a jacket, a skirt, and a pair of high heels so that, according to the tennis champion, her photo album could have a few more pictures of her.

"When your photo album has a few new photos other than your child," she captioned the collection.

Sharapova was in Miami attending, and participating in, the Accelerate Summit, an event featuring women leaders in the sports, entertainment, and business industries.

On her post she said: "A morning spent with powerful, smart & beautiful female leaders changing the sports industry one stiletto step at a time."

Maria Sharapova looks unrecognisable since ditching her tennis career to become a businesswoman (Instagram/mariasharapova)

Sharapova became the world number 1 in August 2005 while aged just 18 and held that position four more times in her career.

She won five major titles — two at the French Open and one each at the Australian and US Open plus Wimbledon - and won 36 titles in total.

Despite her achievements in tournaments, her looks saw her gathering as much, if not more, attention away from the courts.

In April 2005, People named her one of the 50 most beautiful celebrities in the world.

In 2006, Maxim ranked Sharapova the hottest athlete in the world for the fourth consecutive year.

She posed in a six-page bikini photoshoot spread in the 2006 Valentine's Day issue of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, alongside 25 supermodels.

Her tennis success and appearance enabled her to secure commercial endorsements that greatly exceeded the value of her tournament winnings.

Forbes magazine listed her as the highest-paid female athlete in the world from March 2006 until 2016, the majority of income coming from endorsements and sponsorships.

Her most recent post on Instagram sees her in a chic outfit composed of a bra, a jacket, a skirt, and a pair of high heels (Instagram/mariasharapova)

She continues to endorse brands like Nike and Evian while adding deals with startups including Therabody and Tonal.

She picked up stakes in Public.com and crypto firm MoonPay, as well as a board seat with Moncler Group, a fashion company.

Sharapova also appeared as a guest shark in the American TV show Shark Tank in 2020, where she teamed up with Mark Cuban to invest $900,000 for a 30% stake in Wearable wrist and ankle weights company Bala Bangles.

Her brand was, however, dented in 2016 when she failed a drug test for a newly banned substance, meldonium, that she took for a decade for her health.

As a result of the failed drug test, Nike and TAG Heuer suspended their relationships with Sharapova, while Porsche postponed promotional work.

Racquet manufacturer HEAD stood by Sharapova, while the United Nations Development Programme suspended her from her role as a goodwill ambassador.

Sharapova is currently engaged to Eton-educated businessman Alexander Gilkes.

The pair began dating in 2018, when the Russian star found herself at the back end of her professional playing career.

Two years after their relationship began, the British businessmen popped the question to the 36-year-old and the couple have been engaged since.

The pair welcomed their first child, Theodore, to the world in July 2022.

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