World's sexiest tennis star and grand slam champ looks unrecognizable from playing days in latest pictures

MARIA Sharapova looked a completely different person recently from the one who graced tennis courts around the world.

Russian-born tennis star Sharapova, 36, showed off a striking new look in her latest photos on Instagram.

4

4

She was in Toronto, Canada for some filming and gave fans a behind the scenes look.

But Maria looked totally different from her tennis glory days.

The 36-year-old won five grand slams and was one of the highest earning sports stars in the world.

She shot to fame when she won Wimbledon aged 17 in 2004 by beating Serena Williams in the final.

READ MORE SPORTS STORIES

Sharapova became a star in New York two years later when she won the US Open.

She cashed in on her good looks and tennis skills and now has a net worth around $190m.

The Russian star also won the Australian Open and two French Opens in her career.

She retired in 2020 having won 36 titles during her time on tour.

Most read in Sport

Sharapova did face controversy during her time when she was suspended for taking a banned substance.

But she used her time away from tennis to help build her business empire.

Among her many sponsors during her career were Nike, Porsche and Evian.

And Sharapova has her own candy brand called Sugarpova among her many ventures off the court.

She recently explained to Forbes: "When you are just starting out you feel that unless you are successful immediately, then you are not successful period.

"Give yourself five years. I’d say in the early stages, even if you’re CEO or president, don’t be shy about doing the other tasks it takes.

"I would love to do more things in architecture because it’s been a passion of mine since I was young. I’ve wanted to be an architect since I was a little girl.

"I would consider going to school for it. I would love to learn. I think there’s something special with projects that start from an idea and end up with materials and proportions."

4

4