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Has Maria Sharapova Been Able To Defend Her French Open Titles?

When Maria Sharapova began playing on the women’s Tour, she brought a different aspect to the game. Her glamorous persona, teamed with her strong display of tennis, attracted many fans from all over the world. Over the years, the Russian starlet won many honors in the game.

Early in 2020, Maria Sharapova announced her retirement from the sport. A look back at her career shows her to be one of the few players from the modern era to win a Grand Slam title at each venue. Out of the four glorious events, the French Open is the only Grand Slam tournament Maria won twice.

Maria Sharapova
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 19: Maria Sharapova of Russia practices ahead of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 19, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Mike Owen/Getty Images)

Maria Sharapova had the chance to win three titles in a row at the French Open

Maria won her French Open titles in 2012 and 2014. In 2013, she made it to the final but lost to longtime rival Serena Williams. Had she won the title then, she would have made a hat-trick of Roland Garros titles. Besides this, she has been a quarterfinalist there on four different occasions and a semifinalist twice.

Maria enjoyed success during the early stages of her career, winning her first three Grand Slam titles. Those results were at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. There was a four-year gap during her third and fourth Grand Slam titles.

Rafael Nadal/Maria Sharapova
TORONTO, ON – AUGUST 05: Maria Sharapova of Russia hits a shot against Anett Kontaveit of Estonia during a first round match on Day 3 of the Rogers Cup at Aviva Centre on August 05, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

Interestingly, towards the latter part of her career, Maria Sharapova earned success on the clay courts. Although she won her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, her preference for the clay courts was high. Besides the French Open, Maria won three titles at the Italian Open. Along with that, she won three titles in a row at the WTA Stuttgart Open and a title at the Mutua Madrid Open.

The Russian superstar has surely left a legacy. She has managed to win all four Grand Slam events, and she even managed to win 36 singles titles.

Currently, she is enjoying her retirement. However, she does keep fans updated with her posts on various social media platforms.

Also Read: “Tennis Has Given Me Many Things”: Carla Suarez Navarro Talks About Comeback After Cancer Recovery at French Open 2021

 

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