16 YEARS AGO! Maria Sharapova Created History on the WTA Tour

Maria Sharapova is a name that’s quite popular in the sport of tennis. Although she retired from the sport last February, her legend still gets a mention or two in several fan circles across the world.

While she won five Grand Slam tournaments, she reached the summit of the world rankings five times as well. Today, August 22, marks the first of five times that the 34-year-old first became a World No. 1.

Maria Sharapova became the World No. 1 for the first time on August 22, 2005

Sharapova turned pro on April 19, 2001, which was also her 14th birthday. Since then, the Russian made huge strides forward, winning her first tournament in 2003 at the Japan Open. However, her biggest claim to fame came at the 2004 Wimbledon Championships.

Aged just 17, Sharapova defeated former Wimbledon champion Linsday Davenport 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 in the semifinal. In the final, she faced then defending champion Serena Williams, aged 23 years old at the time.

Despite the age gap, the Russian stunned the American in straight sets to clinch her maiden Grand Slam victory. This made her the third youngest woman to win the Grand Slam after Lottie Dod in 1887 (aged 15) and Martina Hingis in 1997 (aged 17).

As tournaments kept coming, Sharapova’s popularity, and success grew. And a year after winning Wimbledon, the Russian reached the pinnacle of the WTA world rankings. On August 22, 2005, she overtook Lindsay Davenport to become the new World No. 1 at just 18 years of age.

However, her reign lasted just one week, as Davenport stormed back to reclaim the spot. The remainder of 2005 saw Davenport and Sharapova trade World No. 1 status. Ultimately, Davenport finished the year on top as Sharapova struggled with a few injuries towards the end of the season.

READ MORE: “From Clay Rookie To Queen Of Clay”- Maria Sharapova And Her Affair With The French Open

Sharapova last held the World No. 1 ranking in 2012

During her career, Sharapova held top spot in the world rankings five times. The last of those came on June 11, 2012, which she relinquished to Victoria Azarenka a month later.

The last of her five Grand Slam victories came at the 2014 French Open, where she defeated Simona Halep in the final. Although she retired last year, fans regard her as one of the best to step foot in the game.

WATCH STORY: Serena Williams vs Maria Sharapova: The Salty Rivalry at Wimbledon Championships