Famous Matches

No match in Maria Sharapova's career was more unexpected, more celebrated, or more consequential than her 2004 Wimbledon final victory over Serena Williams. A 17-year-old girl from Siberia, ranked 13th in the world, dismantled the two-time reigning Wimbledon champion in less than 70 minutes.

The match was stunning in its one-sidedness. Sharapova won the first set 6-1 in just 28 minutes, her powerful serve and flat, penetrating groundstrokes giving Williams no rhythm. Williams, struggling with a knee injury and visibly surprised by the pace and depth of Sharapova's ball, made 30 unforced errors across the match.

Sharapova's serve was the decisive weapon. She hit 12 aces and won 78% of first-serve points. Her mental composure was extraordinary — not a flicker of nerves visible on a face that showed nothing but fierce focus.

When it ended, Sharapova dropped to her knees on the grass, tears streaming. "I never dreamed something like this would happen so quickly," she said afterward. The entire world of tennis had to recalibrate: there was a new champion, and she was only 17.

The victory launched Sharapova into global stardom overnight. Within weeks, she appeared on the cover of every major sports publication. More importantly, it confirmed that she belonged at the very highest level — and that she intended to stay there.

Two years after Wimbledon, Sharapova returned to the Grand Slam stage in New York with a point to prove — and proved it decisively. Her opponent was Justine Henin, the Belgian No. 1 widely regarded as the most technically complete player of her era.

Sharapova's serving was once again dominant. She won 85% of first-serve points against the player many considered the best in the world. Her aggressive, flat baseline game forced Henin into a defensive posture she was unaccustomed to.

The 6-4, 6-4 victory was comprehensive. Sharapova's shot-making under pressure was exceptional — she won 80% of points when she hit her first serve in. The New York crowd, always appreciative of power and aggression, warmed to her instantly.

With victory in New York, Sharapova had now won Grand Slams on two different surfaces — grass and hard court. The career Grand Slam was becoming a genuine possibility. Only clay, at the French Open, remained unconquered. Few believed she could win on the red dirt of Roland Garros. She filed that doubt away.

The 2008 Australian Open final saw Sharapova face the Serbian Ana Ivanovic — two young, powerful baseline players who would come to define the post-Williams generation of women's tennis. Sharapova, at 20, was already a two-time Grand Slam champion and the more experienced big-match competitor.

The first set was tight — Sharapova won it 7-5, breaking Ivanovic when it mattered most. The second set was more controlled, with Sharapova's serve and return game proving the difference. She won 6-3 to claim her third Grand Slam title.

Three different Grand Slams. Three different surfaces (grass, hard, hard). Only the French Open — clay — now stood between Maria Sharapova and the Career Grand Slam. But before she could pursue that dream, her body would force a pause she hadn't asked for.

Six months after Melbourne, Sharapova underwent surgery on her right shoulder to repair a torn rotator cuff. The operation would keep her off tour for the better part of two years. In 2008, no one knew if she would return to win a fourth Grand Slam. In 2012, the whole world found out the answer.

Four years after shoulder surgery. Four years of people questioning whether she would ever return to the heights. Four years of grinding back through the rankings. And then, on a hot Saturday afternoon in Paris, Maria Sharapova made history.

By defeating Italy's Sara Errani 6-3, 6-2 in just 66 minutes, Sharapova became only the tenth woman in history — and the first in five years — to complete the Career Grand Slam: winning all four major titles. The player that critics said would never win on clay had conquered it with authority.

The match itself was not close. Errani — a brilliant clay court specialist — was simply overwhelmed. Sharapova's serve was dominant (she hit 5 aces and won 75% of first-serve points), and her baseline game had evolved significantly on clay: more topspin, better weight of shot, improved movement.

When the final point landed, Sharapova fell to her knees, her face buried in her hands, tears flowing. The journey from the surgery table to Roland Garros champion was one of sport's most remarkable comeback stories. She had not merely returned — she had conquered a surface she was never supposed to master.

"This is everything," she said in her post-match interview. "Every sacrifice, every rehabilitation session, every moment of doubt — it all led here. This one is for everyone who believed."

If the 2012 Roland Garros final was a coronation, the 2014 edition was a war. Sharapova against Romania's Simona Halep — two players at the peak of their powers — produced one of the most thrilling Grand Slam finals in recent memory.

Sharapova won the first set 6-4 comfortably, looking every bit the commanding champion. But Halep refused to yield. In the second set, Sharapova served for the match at 5-4, came within two points of victory, and was broken. The set went to a tiebreak that Halep won 7-5, having saved multiple match points.

Halep was now swinging freely, full of confidence. Sharapova faced a moment of truth: dig deeper, or let the momentum shift definitively. She dug. In the third set, she matched Halep shot for shot, her experience in Grand Slam finals proving decisive in the tightest moments.

At 5-4 in the third, Sharapova served for the title again. This time, she delivered. A final forehand winner sealed the match 6-4 in the third, and Sharapova dropped to the clay, raising her arms in triumph.

Five Grand Slams. The same tournament won twice. The greatest clay court achievement by any player who was supposedly not a clay court player. At 27, with her shoulder repaired and her game refined, Maria Sharapova had delivered her finest hour.