Congrats to Maria Sharapova the 2012 French Open Champion

I have been following Maria Sharapova since she won Wimbledon in 2004. I saw her at the 2003 US Open and really felt she was a serious player. Today she completed the Career Grand Slam, winning the 2012 French Open to go with her 2004 Wimbledon, 2006 US Open and 2008 Australian Open. She has come back from a very serious shoulder injury, which some people maybe would have thrown in the towel. She is a real fighter and a great player and I think she has a few more slams in her before she retires from the game.  

The 2003 practice session I attended shows how intense she was back then, even at practice  

Her match at the 2003 US Open showed her fighting spirit at a young age   

These were taken in 2004, the year she won Wimbledon, she was playing doubles with Max Mirnyi therefore they were on a side court 

These shots are from a 2009 practice session at the US Open which was quite filled with fans eager to see her in action  

2010 US Open Intense Practice Session  

Photo: JACQUES DEMARTHON/Getty Images

Congratulations again to Maria and a very successful comeback indeed. Oh and she is also the #1 player in the world on Monday. I think she is a clear favorite for her second Wimbledon trophy in a few weeks. She has shown that hard work and determination does pay off. You just have to believe in yourself and what you can accomplish.

Today's Words of Wisdom: Carpe diem - seize the day 

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Maria Sharapova

I am not sure if all my followers are aware, but I am a big tennis fan and love to photograph the players since attending my first US Open in 1998. Maria Sharapova has always been one of my favorites to photograph as the camera really loves her. The photo above is from the 2003 US Open, she turned pro in 2001 and won her first of 3 Grand Slams, Wimbledon in 2004. 

She always had such intensity during her matches, even in these photos you can see it in her face. 

This was during a doubles match at the US Open with Max Mirnyi so I caught a little smile  

She won a great match today at the French Open to put her in the Quarterfinals of the only Grand Slam tournament she has never won. She showed real guts today and kept positive even though she was down in the second set 1-4.......always a fighter on the court..... 

this shot from 2009 shows a bit older Maria but the same intense look on her face....she has won career prize money of over 14 million US dollars and her off the court earnings are pretty huge. In August 2010, Forbes magazine named her the highest-paid female athlete earning 24.5 million US dollars.  

I have always enjoyed watching her play and I think she is pretty inspiring to young people that if you work hard, you can be successful. She has come back from serious shoulder surgery and is back in the top 10 of the world's best tennis players. I wish her luck this week in the French Open, her worst surface is clay, and really hope she takes home the title. 

 Today's Words of Wisdom: Make the Most of What you've Got, What is Actually Yours