As of 2022, Maria Sharapova, a retired tennis player, has a net worth of $183 million. The female tennis player hit the top of the ranks early in her career and raked in $38,777,962 in winnings from various worldwide competitions.
Apart from winnings, Maria Sharapova had many endorsements to raise her worth and make her successful. So let's dive into the world of Maria Sharapova's career and evaluate where her current net worth comes from.
Maria Sharapova’s Net Worth
Maria Sharapova held the number one female tennis player title in the world once, currently has a total net worth of $183 million, and is of the wealthiest female tennis players ever. Moreover, she got many endorsements and modeling opportunities, making her succeed beyond her career.
Although her tennis career felt short-lived to others in the same occupation, she excelled in her business skills and investments to grow her earnings and multiply them.
Maria Sharapova’s Tennis Career
Although she didn’t know it then, Maria started her love for tennis at the young age of 4 years old. She soon realized she was passionate about tennis, and her father and coaches noticed her excellent hand-eye coordination.
Maria Sharapova went to a tennis clinic held in Moscow and only progressed from there. Her first major competition win was the Eddie Herr International Junior Championships in 2000. After that, she climbed the ranks and ended sixth in the junior world's rankings in 2002.
Maria Sharapova became a pro at age 14 and started winning competitions at 16. In 2005, she hit the international rankings of female singles, number 3 worldwide. Later that year, she moved into first place for the first time.
She wasn’t in first place for long but moved in and out of the top 5 positions from 2005 until 2015. Fluctuations happened because of many injury breaks and comebacks. Nevertheless, she won five grand slams in her career, competed in the Olympics, and had the privilege to carry the flag for Russia.
Her career winded down when she was banned from competing for 2 years because of a positive doping test. The period was changed to 15 months after the jury found that she didn't do anything consciously wrong. Because of the injuries, she had to use strong medication, which tested positive for doping.
She returned after her suspension, regained some endorsements she lost because of it, and started climbing the ranks again. Unfortunately, the injuries were too many and forced her to retire in 2020.
Tennis Leads Charge for Income Equality in Men and Women
Tennis is a bit of an anomaly when it comes to the income equality of male and female athletes. Much attention has been brought to the lack of equality in income for female athletes compared to male athletes in recent years (Study from Adelphi University New York).
In 2018, 28 members of the US Women's National Soccer team joined a class action lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation citing wage discrimination. The net worth of the 3 richest NBA players in history vs. the net worth of the 3 richest WNBA players in history provides an illustration of just how wide that gap is.
The combined net worth of Michael Jordan, Lebron James, and Magic Johnson is nearing almost $4 Billion Dollars. The combines net worth of the 3 richest WNBA players (Sue Bird, Lisa Leslie, and Candace Parker) is still shy of $20 Million.
Nothing to laugh at but barely a drop in the ocean compared to the massive wealth of the richest NBA players.
A comparison of the 3 richest male tennis players vs. the 3 richest female tennis players tells a much different story.
Roger Federer's net worth is in a league of its own, but the net worth of the next two richest male tennis players (Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal) are virtual equal to that of Serena Williams, Sharapova, and Steffi Graf.
Tennis is the one sport that seems to have made a conscious effort to close the income equality gap. In 1973, Billy Jean King threatened to boycott the U.S. Open if pay was not made equal between men and women.
King's threat worked and the tournament decided to offer $25,000 to both the Men's and Women's Champion.
King's influence has made a major impact in the sport and winnings between male and female tennis players are nearly equal to this day.
Maria Sharapova Career Accomplishments
She ended her career close to her 800th singles game, giving space for many accomplishments before that.
- Won the Russian Cup Newcomer of the year in 2003
- Won the Japan Open in 2003
- First Wimbledon Singles win in 2004
- First Russian woman to hold the world number 1 title in 2005
- US Open, Zurich Open, and Acura Classic won in 2006
- Maria won the Australian Open once again in 2008
- Won the WTA fan favorite Singles Player award in 2010
- 2012 Olympic Silver medallist
- ESPY Best Female Tennis Player in 2012
- Maria won the Madrid Open, French Open, and Stuttgart Open in 2014
- Won the Australian Open for the 4th time in 2015
Maria Sharapova Endorsements and Sponsorships
Maria Sharapova climbed the rankings quickly. Being young, beautiful, and talented got many sponsorships’ attention, and soon she was stocked with endorsements from various brands. Some of the more prominent brands that sponsored Maria Sharapova:
- Motorola
- Nike
- Porsche
- Tag Heuer
- Avon
- Evian
- Land Rover
- Canon
- Pepsi
- Head
After making her debut and entering the world of tennis pros in 2004, when she won Wimbledon for the first time, Motorola approached Sharapova as their brand ambassador. This time opened many doors to the sponsorship world, and she partnered with the luxurious brands of Tag Heuer and Tiffany.
Nike has been her clothing sponsor from the start, and she even had her own collection named after her. However, the best deal she ever got was in 2010, when Nike gave her an eight-year contract for $70 million.
Other brands sponsored her: the carmakers Porsche and Land Rover, the famous drink giant Pepsi, Head racquets, and Evian and Canon. In total, Maria Sharapova received $250 million from endorsements alone in her career.
Her earnings off the court have been the biggest contributor in making her one of the richest tennis players of all time.
Maria Sharapova’s Business Dealings
Besides her endorsements and tennis career, Maria Sharapova has a strong business side. She started her own candy company in 2013, named Sugarpova. She loves candy and created this brand with antioxidant-containing sweets and all-natural and no GMO-containing ingredients.
Maria Sharapova hopped onboard the Supergoop skincare train in 2014 and now owns stakes in the company. She saw the opportunity for something she knows and feels the urgency about – sunscreen and protecting your skin every day.
Maria Sharapova invested in a company named public.com, where she buys and sells cryptocurrency stocks online.
Maria Sharapova Shark Tank Appearance
It was quite an exclusive when Maria Sharapova appeared on Shark Tank in 2020 as a guest shark, wanting to invest. She and Mark Cuban partnered and invested in a fitness equipment company called “Bala Bangles.” They have a 30% share in the company and invested $900,000.
Maria Sharapova Charities
The Maria Sharapova Foundation is a Russian-based charity looking after people and children affected by the Chornobyl nuclear disaster. She donated $310,000 towards the foundation and has a $210,000 scholarship fund for students who live in these affected areas. Apart from her charity, she also invested $250,000 in the UNDP organization.
Maria Sharapova Net Worth: By The Numbers
Maria Sharapova has a total net worth of $183 million, and these consist of:
- Total Career earnings: $38,777,962
- Endorsement earnings: $300 million+
- Home Value: $8.6 million
- Average Annual Salary: $16 million
FAQs
After we saw the net worth of Maria Sharapova and her successful career, there might be other questions you want to know about her or the career she followed.
Who Is The Highest Paid Female Tennis Player In History?
She is in the top 5 best-paid tennis players worldwide, but Serena Williams is the number one female tennis player. Her net worth equals 210 million dollars, and she decided to retire in 2022.
Where Is Maria Sharapova Today?
Maria lives with her fiancé, Alexander Gilkes, in South Carolina. Their son was born in July 2022, and his name is Alexander. She is still one of the wealthiest female athletes worldwide and keeps up her business involvements.
What Was Maria Sharapova’s Deal With Nike Worth?
In 2010, Maria Sharapova signed a deal with Nike for $70 million for 8 years. The value shocked many as this was the most generous contract female athletes have ever received from Nike.
