Sharapova started the year at the Australian Open, where she
defeated fifth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova to reach the second
Grand Slam semifinal of her career. Sharapova held match
points in the third set of her semifinal match, before
losing to eventual champion Serena Williams.
In February, Sharapova won back-to-back tournaments, the
Toray Pan Pacific Open and the Qatar Total Open, allowing
her to reach the top 3 in the world rankings for the first
time. In the semifinals of the Tier I Pacific Life Open,
Sharapova was defeated by Lindsay Davenport, the first time
she had failed to win a game in a match.
The following fortnight, she defeated former world no. 1
players Justine Henin and Venus Williams to reach the final
at the Tier I NASDAQ-100 Open, where she lost to Kim
Clijsters.
Sharapova made the semifinals of a clay-court tournament for
the first time at the Italian Open, where she lost to Patty
Schnyder. Sharapova would have become world no. 1 for the
first time had she won the tournament.
Sharapova then reached the quarterfinals of the French Open
for the second consecutive year, before losing to eventual
champion Henin.
On grass, Sharapova won her third title of the year when she
successfully defended her title at the DFS Classic,
defeating Jelena Jankovic in the final. As the defending
champion at Wimbledon, Sharapova reached the semifinals
without dropping a set and losing a service game just once,
extending her winning streak on grass to 24 matches.
However, she was then beaten by eventual champion Venus
Williams.
A back injury sustained by world no. 1 Davenport at
Wimbledon prevented her from playing tournaments during the
summer hard-court season, which meant she could not earn new
ranking points to replace those that were expiring from the
previous year. Sharapova, although also injured for much of
this time, had far fewer points to defend, and so she became
the first Russian woman to hold the world no. 1 ranking on
August 22, 2005.
Her reign lasted only one week, however, as Davenport
reclaimed the top ranking after winning the Pilot Pen Tennis
tournament.
As the top seed at the US Open, Sharapova lost in the
semifinals to Kim Clijsters, meaning she had lost to the
eventual champion in every Grand Slam of the season.
However, she once again leapfrogged Davenport to take the
world no. 1 ranking on September 12, 2005.
She retained it for six weeks, but after playing few
tournaments while injured, she again relinquished the
ranking to Davenport. To conclude the year, Sharapova failed
to defend her title at the year-end Sony Ericsson
Championships in Los Angeles, defeating Davenport in one of
her round-robin matches, but ultimately losing in the
semifinals to eventual champion Amélie Mauresmo.
Sony-Ericsson Wallpaper - Maria Sharapova Photoshoot
press image for big size
Biography
Maria Sharapova born April 19, 1987) is a Russian professional tennis player. As of February 25, 2013 she is ranked world no. 3.
The players who left for LIV would not be able to participate in the new company's equity plan, according to Jimmy Dunne, who also said a committee that includes current PGA Tour members would determine potential punishment for players who left.
Sources: Nuggets get package of picks from OKC
The Nuggets are two wins from their first NBA title but are still planning for the future after acquiring three draft picks in a trade with the Thunder, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Mets lose Alonso for 3-4 weeks due to ailing wrist
NL RBIs leader Pete Alonso has a bone bruise and sprain of his left wrist and is expected to be out 3-4 weeks.
Celtics' G. Williams undergoes left hand surgery
Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams -- who'll be a restricted free agent this summer -- had surgery on his left hand Friday that's expected to have him fully recovered for the start of NBA training camp in the fall, sources told ESPN.
Blue Jays DFA Bass before team's Pride Weekend
Blue Jays reliever Anthony Bass, who made headlines last week for sharing an anti-LGBTQIA+ post on social media, has been designated for assignment. The move comes before the start of the team's Pride Weekend.
49ers group strikes deal for full Leeds takeover
Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani has reached an agreement to sell his stake in the club to 49ers Enterprises, the second-tier English side said Friday.
Rodgers wraps 'fun' OTAs with perfect attendance
After attending every day of Jets OTAs, quarterback Aaron Rodgers referred to the start of his New York tenure as "about the most fun I've had in a while."
Chicharito suffers torn ACL; set to miss season
Mexican striker Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez has suffered a a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee, the LA Galaxy announced Friday.
The Aaron Boone Show? Manager turning run-ins with umps into an 'art form'
Think the Yankees' skipper gets ejected a lot? You bet he does. And not only do his players love it, some umpires even find it amusing.
Change is a constant in Istanbul but can Inter upset Man City?
Man City are very much favorites to win the Champions League but neutrals love an underdog.
Saluting Sue Bird, Sylvia Fowles ahead of WNBA jersey retirements
Before Seattle retires Sue Bird's jersey and Minnesota hoists Sylvia Fowles' jersey to the rafters, our writers share their favorite stories of the legends.
What went wrong for Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open?
World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz looked unstoppable -- until the unexpected got the best of him.
Who will win the French Open women's final?
No. 1-ranked Swiatek has cruised through this tournament and has history on her side, but Muchova has a Cinderella story for the ages. We break it down.
The complicated story of Sabalenka at the French Open
Sabalenka played some lights-out tennis, but that's not what was dominating the conversation around her.
Ranking the GOAT's fights: The top 5 matches in Amanda Nunes' storied career
The Lioness has established one of the greatest resumes in the history of the sport.
Rats off to ya! Why Panthers fans throw plastic rodents on the ice
It's a tradition that goes back to 1996 and the club's first run to the Stanley Cup Final. Here's how it all started.
Superteam? Bad for softball? Call Oklahoma what you want but OU's dynasty isn't stopping any time soon
They don't care about your fatigue or being "bad for the game of softball." OU is a dynasty that plans to last.
OU softball joins list of NCAA title three-peaters
Sooners softball joins Stanford men's gymnastics as the only NCAA Division I programs with an active three-peat.
Why the Big Ten ditched divisions and protected 11 games to make room for USC and UCLA
With USC and UCLA joining the conference in 2024, the Big Ten is changing things up and we're here to clear up some lingering questions.
UFC champ Brandon Moreno to appear at major lucha libre event in Tijuana
Moreno will take his talents to Tijuana for a major lucha libre event the week after his title fight against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 290.
'Do I still got it?': What has happened to Teofimo Lopez?
Teofimo Lopez gets another title opportunity on Saturday night, but his battle outside of the ring remains his biggest fight.
Who wins after Messi's MLS move, and let's talk about Saudi Arabia's multibillion-dollar plan
What Messi's move to Miami means for MLS, and taking a closer look at Saudi Arabia's grand plans to sign the world's top players.
Transfer Talk: USMNT's Pulisic keen on AC Milan move from Chelsea
Chelsea and USMNT winger Christian Pulisic is interested in a move to AC Milan. Transfer Talk has the latest.
Every top club wants a No. 9 striker, but who are the best options?
As the transfer window edges closer, most top clubs are looking to sign a new No. 9 striker.
MLB Power Rankings: An AL showdown for the No. 1 spot
There's been a clear No. 1 for the majority of the season -- but there might be a new face vying for the title of best team in baseball.
Who is Spider-Canada from the new 'Spider-Verse' movie?
Only one of the many Spider-people in the new "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" movie is carrying a hockey stick and wearing a Canadian national team sweater. Here's how the character came to be.
Le Mans' revival is a once-in-a-generation transformation
The 24 Hours of Le Mans' marquee Hypercar class has more than tripled in size since 2022, and the buzz in the grandstands has grown commensurately.
Everything we know about the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LIV Golf agreement
Although there are still many details to be worked out, here's what we know and don't know about the new partnership between LIV Golf, the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.
Aliyah Boston making quick transition to the WNBA game
The latest fantasy news, notes and stats you need to know for each of the 12 WNBA teams.
Dana Evans among most overlooked options
Our experts explain which players around the WNBA are the most overlooked options.
Fantasy football X factors: Eight players who could be difference-makers in 2023
Matt Bowen lists players with questions surrounding them, but also the potential to be fantasy difference-makers to varying degrees.
Rankings: Eric Moody's top 200 for keeper leagues
Rankings with a three-year perspective in mind, which is a shorter window than in dynasty formats.
Weekend preview: Altitude meets aptitude for San Diego hitters
Our fantasy baseball experts take a quick peek ahead to the upcoming weekend of action and highlight what they're looking forward to watching.
press image for big size
