Former tennis star Maria Sharapova religion has gained significant public attention as she has been featured in the 2023 sports documentary series Break Point as a five-time Grand Slam winner.
Born Maria Yuryevna Sharapova, Maria Sharapova is a former world no. 1 tennis player who participated in WTA Tour between 2001 to 2020.
She is the only person in Russia to achieve the career Grand Slam. The Russian professional tennis player won the silver medal in the 2012 London Olympics.
Maria was considered as one of the most talented tennis players of her generation. She retired on 26 February 2020.
The skilled tennis player has also grabbed massive public attention for her appearances on several shows and sports documentary series, including Break Point, Shark Tank, Ocean’s Eight, Billions, The Morning Show, etc.
While her professional career is like an open book, many questions swirl around the former athlete’s personal life. Thus, in today’s short piece, let’s get to know more about Maria Sharapova’s religion, family background, and parents in detail.
Read More About: Tennis – What Is Wrong With Carlos Alcaraz Teeth? Surgery Before And After
Break Point Maria Sharapova Religion: Is She Jewish?
No. Maria Sharapova is not Jewish. In contrast, the skilled tennis player is Christian.
According to reports, the Russian athlete’s parents are Orthodox Christian, and she was baptized Orthodox.
In addition, some of her fans might have noticed the tennis player occasionally wears a beautiful cross necklace. Her parents reportedly gave her the cross.
Thus, it is certain that the former tennis player is a Christian and holds her faith in high regard. However, the versatile athlete has not shared much about her religious beliefs in any media appearances.
But some media outlets claimed that she reportedly thanked God for her talent in tennis. Her faith and strong belief in God must have helped her during difficult times.
Regardless of her religious beliefs, Maria went on to become one of her generation’s best tennis players.
Maria Sharapova Family Ethnicity
Born on 19 April 1987, Sharapova is a native of Nyagan, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union. Yuri Sharapov and Yelena are the versatile tennis player’s father and mother, respectively.
Talking about her ethnicity, the Russian athlete is of Belarusian descent.
Her parents left their home country, Gomel, Byelorussian SSR, just before she was born out of concern for the regional implications of the 1986 Chornobyl nuclear accident.
Maria began playing tennis when she was only four years old. The Russian native participated in a Martina Navratilova-themed exhibition in Moscow when she was six years old.
The gorgeous tennis player started training at Nick Bollettieri’s Tennis Academy when she was nine. Due to financial constraints and visa limitations, she was separated from her mother, Yelena, for her first two years at the Academy.
Maria went to competitions with her father, Yuri, Mike Baroch, 1984 Australian Open boys’ doubles champion Robert Lansdorp, and other coaches.
Michael Joyce, a former member of the ATP Top 100, finally took over for Baroch and Lansdorp, coaching Maria to three Grand Slam victories and the World No. 1 position.
As for her playing style, Sharapova played aggressive baseline tennis, relying heavily on her strong serve and groundstrokes.
She could produce acute, sharp angles with both her forehand and backhand, hitting her shots with unrelenting speed, power, and depth.
Due to her aggressive, high-risk playing style, she frequently made both wins and unforced errors in large quantities.
The backhand of Sharapova, which was deemed “among the best in tennis” at the time of her retirement, was her strongest point.
Keep Reading: Who Is Craig Tiley Wife Ali? Meet Their Kids Archer and Weston
