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Guess Who's Back? Queen of the Tennis Court Maria Sharapova Returns to Action

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Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova is ready to get back in the fold on the very first day after her 15-month ban ends. On April 26, she will face Italian tennis player Roberta Vinci in the first-round match of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (WTA) in Stuttgart, Germany.

Sharapova tested positive for meldonium at the January 2016 Australian open and was disqualified for two years on doping charges. Her suspension was reduced to 15 months after an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport when the tennis player claimed that she has taken meldonium for health issues since 2006 and did not know that it was added to the list of banned drugs. Meldonium was only added to the World Anti-Doping Agency list of banned substances on January 1, 2016.

© Sputnik / Anton DenisovThe five-time Grand Slam champion, Sharapova will come back to play against Roberta Vinci on April 26, hours after her doping ban expires.
Guess Who's Back? Queen of the Tennis Court Maria Sharapova Returns to Action - Sputnik International
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The five-time Grand Slam champion, Sharapova will come back to play against Roberta Vinci on April 26, hours after her doping ban expires.
© Sputnik / Anton DenisovSharapova's return will become the highlight of the tournament's 40th anniversary celebrations. She was handed a wildcard for the event after her ranking suspension.
Guess Who's Back? Queen of the Tennis Court Maria Sharapova Returns to Action - Sputnik International
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Sharapova's return will become the highlight of the tournament's 40th anniversary celebrations. She was handed a wildcard for the event after her ranking suspension.
© AP Photo / Kathy WillensBorn in Siberia, Maria has been playing tennis since she was 4 and made her professional debut at the age of 14.
Guess Who's Back? Queen of the Tennis Court Maria Sharapova Returns to Action - Sputnik International
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Born in Siberia, Maria has been playing tennis since she was 4 and made her professional debut at the age of 14.
© Sputnik / Anton DenisovSharapova, who has just recently turned 30, shot to international fame when she won Wimbledon back in 2004 as a 17-year-old. At the time, she was the third youngest player to conquer the All England Club’s famous grass courts.
Guess Who's Back? Queen of the Tennis Court Maria Sharapova Returns to Action - Sputnik International
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Sharapova, who has just recently turned 30, shot to international fame when she won Wimbledon back in 2004 as a 17-year-old. At the time, she was the third youngest player to conquer the All England Club’s famous grass courts.
© AP Photo / Louis LanzanoIn 2005, Sharapova became the first Russian woman to be ranked number one in the world.
Guess Who's Back? Queen of the Tennis Court Maria Sharapova Returns to Action - Sputnik International
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In 2005, Sharapova became the first Russian woman to be ranked number one in the world.
© Sputnik / Anton DenisovRussian tennis players from left: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Maria Sharapova, Team Russia captain Anastasia Myskina, Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina at a press conference after the International Tennis Federation Fed Cup final draw ceremony on November 13, 2015, in Prague, Czech Republic.
Guess Who's Back? Queen of the Tennis Court Maria Sharapova Returns to Action - Sputnik International
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Russian tennis players from left: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Maria Sharapova, Team Russia captain Anastasia Myskina, Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina at a press conference after the International Tennis Federation Fed Cup final draw ceremony on November 13, 2015, in Prague, Czech Republic.
© Sputnik / Alexey KudenkoMaria regained the world No. 1 ranking in 2012 and became the 10th woman to complete a career Grand Slam (and the only Russian to hold it).
Guess Who's Back? Queen of the Tennis Court Maria Sharapova Returns to Action - Sputnik International
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Maria regained the world No. 1 ranking in 2012 and became the 10th woman to complete a career Grand Slam (and the only Russian to hold it).
© Sputnik / Alexey KudenkoShe also earned Russia a silver medal in the women's singles during the 2012 Summer Olympics – her Olympic debut.
Guess Who's Back? Queen of the Tennis Court Maria Sharapova Returns to Action - Sputnik International
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She also earned Russia a silver medal in the women's singles during the 2012 Summer Olympics – her Olympic debut.
© Sputnik / Alexey KudenkoRussia's Maria Sharapova poses with the Suzanne Lenglen Cup with the Eiffel Tower in the background after her victory in the women's singles final against Sara Errani of Italy on June 09, 2012, in Paris, France.
Guess Who's Back? Queen of the Tennis Court Maria Sharapova Returns to Action - Sputnik International
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Russia's Maria Sharapova poses with the Suzanne Lenglen Cup with the Eiffel Tower in the background after her victory in the women's singles final against Sara Errani of Italy on June 09, 2012, in Paris, France.
© Sputnik / Anton DenisovAlongside her brilliant tennis career, the Russian tennis star established the Maria Sharapova Foundation to help children around the world achieve their dreams. She also actively supports Chernobyl-related projects, being herself a child of a couple from the Chernobyl-Affected Area of Belarus.
Guess Who's Back? Queen of the Tennis Court Maria Sharapova Returns to Action - Sputnik International
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Alongside her brilliant tennis career, the Russian tennis star established the Maria Sharapova Foundation to help children around the world achieve their dreams. She also actively supports Chernobyl-related projects, being herself a child of a couple from the Chernobyl-Affected Area of Belarus.
© AFP 2023 / Kenzo TribouillardRussia's Maria Sharapova poses in Paris on June 8, 2014 a day after winning the Roland Garros French Tennis Open.
Guess Who's Back? Queen of the Tennis Court Maria Sharapova Returns to Action - Sputnik International
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Russia's Maria Sharapova poses in Paris on June 8, 2014 a day after winning the Roland Garros French Tennis Open.
© Sputnik / Alexey KudenkoOff the court, Sharapova’s beauty and popular appeal have led to major commercial endorsements with brands like Nike and Tiffany & Co.
Guess Who's Back? Queen of the Tennis Court Maria Sharapova Returns to Action - Sputnik International
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Off the court, Sharapova’s beauty and popular appeal have led to major commercial endorsements with brands like Nike and Tiffany & Co.
© Sputnik / Alexey KudenkoShe made almost $30 million in 2015, according to Forbes, with $23 million of that coming from endorsements and once signed a contract extension with Nike worth a reported $70 million.
Guess Who's Back? Queen of the Tennis Court Maria Sharapova Returns to Action - Sputnik International
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She made almost $30 million in 2015, according to Forbes, with $23 million of that coming from endorsements and once signed a contract extension with Nike worth a reported $70 million.
© AFP 2023 / Frederic J. BrownTennis star Maria Sharapova turns down an offer from actor and race car driver Patrick Dempsey to try sitting in the driver's seat of the new Porsche 911 RSR on the first of two press days at the 2016 Los Angeles Autoshow in Los Angeles, California, on November 16, 2016.
Guess Who's Back? Queen of the Tennis Court Maria Sharapova Returns to Action - Sputnik International
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Tennis star Maria Sharapova turns down an offer from actor and race car driver Patrick Dempsey to try sitting in the driver's seat of the new Porsche 911 RSR on the first of two press days at the 2016 Los Angeles Autoshow in Los Angeles, California, on November 16, 2016.
© Sputnik / Anton DenisovFrom left: Agnieszka Radwańska (Poland), Petra Kvitová (Czech Republic), Maria Sharapova (Russia), Serena Williams (US) and Eugenie Bouchard (Canada) ahead of the draw for the Women's Tennis Association Finals in Singapore on October 18, 2014.
Guess Who's Back? Queen of the Tennis Court Maria Sharapova Returns to Action - Sputnik International
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From left: Agnieszka Radwańska (Poland), Petra Kvitová (Czech Republic), Maria Sharapova (Russia), Serena Williams (US) and Eugenie Bouchard (Canada) ahead of the draw for the Women's Tennis Association Finals in Singapore on October 18, 2014.
© Sputnik / Alexander VilfIn 2012, Maria launched her own premium candy line, Sugarpova, “that reflects the fun, fashionable, sweet side of international tennis sensation Maria Sharapova,” according to the Sugarpova website.
Guess Who's Back? Queen of the Tennis Court Maria Sharapova Returns to Action - Sputnik International
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In 2012, Maria launched her own premium candy line, Sugarpova, “that reflects the fun, fashionable, sweet side of international tennis sensation Maria Sharapova,” according to the Sugarpova website.
© AP Photo / Diane BondareffIn this photo from August 22, 2006, tennis star Maria Sharapova poses outside of Bloomingdale's in New York, before launching her new TAG Heuer watch.
Guess Who's Back? Queen of the Tennis Court Maria Sharapova Returns to Action - Sputnik International
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In this photo from August 22, 2006, tennis star Maria Sharapova poses outside of Bloomingdale's in New York, before launching her new TAG Heuer watch.
© Charles Sykes/ InvisionTennis players Maria Sharapova and Roger Federer participate in Nike's Street Tennis Pro Event in Greenwich Village on August 24, 2015, in New York, US.
Guess Who's Back? Queen of the Tennis Court Maria Sharapova Returns to Action - Sputnik International
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Tennis players Maria Sharapova and Roger Federer participate in Nike's Street Tennis Pro Event in Greenwich Village on August 24, 2015, in New York, US.
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