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Unstoppable: My Life So Far
The fiercely honest, fearless, darkly funny autobiography of global tennis star Maria SharapovaIn the middle of the night, a father and his daughter step off a Greyhound bus in Florida and head straight to the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy. They ring the bell, though no one is expecting them and they don't speak English. They have arrived from Russia with just seven hundred dollars and the conviction that this six-year-old girl will be the world's next great tennis star. They are right.This is Maria Sharapova's gripping and fearless autobiography, telling her story from her roots in the small Siberian town her parents fled to after the Chernobyl disaster, through her arrival in the US with nothing and her phenomenal rise to success - winning Wimbledon aged just seventeen - to the disasters that threatened her career and her fight back. 'A compelling memoir' David Shaftel, Financial Times'An illuminating account ... This is the bildungsroman of a controversial champion, a portrait of the athlete as an uncommonly driven young woman' Julia Felsenthal, Vogue
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 12, 2017
312 people are currently reading
3628 people want to read
About the author
Maria Sharapova
5 books96 followersBorn in Nyagan, Russia, Maria Sharapova moved to the United States when she was six years old. At seventeen, Sharapova beat Serena Williams to win Wimbledon. She reached the number-one world ranking at eighteen, and has held that ranking a number of times since. To date, she has won five Grand Slams. She lives in Manhattan Beach, California.
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February 12, 2022
I remember watching Maria Sharapova play and generally liked her style & demeanour – she could exude a steely determination & confidence. I did not know too much beyond that of her life and the book summary was enticing. Maria’s family lived in Belarus, just about 80 miles from Chernobyl. She took up the name Maria in the US – instead of persisting with Masha which was often mispronounced as ‘Marsha’. Due to the Chernobyl disaster, their family decided to move to Sochi. Maria’s dad Yuri sensed her potential early and started learning tennis from the age of 4. In one match, after watching her, Martina Navratilova suggested to her dad that she would benefit by attending a training academy in Florida.
Maria’s dad decided to make her tennis career his goal in life and applied for a US visa when she was 6. They landed in Florida with a sum of $700 (and couldn't speak English), and with no-one to receive them, they went over with some people they met on the flight for the night. The initial many months were a huge struggle with their finances depleting fast. Based on her game, Maria later got a scholarship with the Nick Bollettieri tennis academy. It was well over 2 years before her mother got a visa to join them in the US. There are a lot of details of her training and how she rose to play professionally at the age of 14. There was also a period of confusion on whether she should go left-handed. This was the period when the Williams sisters rose to the top, especially Serena. 2004 represented a key breakthrough moment for Maria when she beat Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final at the age of 17. As per Maria, she heard from someone else that Serena was furious after her Wimbledon match, and this set off a bitter rivalry – with Serena winning a lot of their subsequent matches. Her hectic lifestyle and constant travel took a toll on any potential relationships. It is after many years that she moved away from her dad being a constant presence and a coach.
In the 2016 Australian Open, Maria failed a drug test with Meldonium being found in her blood. The ban for this substance came into effect only from Jan of that year. She had been taking a medication which had this substance for the past 10 years under prescription for heart health, and did not realize that this was now disallowed. This invited a 2-year ban which was subsequently reduced to 15 months on representation. The verdict did make the point that it seems to be completely inadvertent with no intention of cheating.
I loved the first half of the book on her early life and struggles. A lot of the material is very inspirational and a lot of credit goes to her dad for putting her career above everything else. The extent of sacrifice and challenges the two of them took on is very well related. The later sections have details on her training, matches & professional career. While the book meanders on and off to her attitude of never giving up, thankfully it falls well short of being boring bragging.
I listened to the audiobook which was told by Maria Sharapova herself and it was a pleasure to listen to.
My rating: 4.5 / 5.
Maria’s dad decided to make her tennis career his goal in life and applied for a US visa when she was 6. They landed in Florida with a sum of $700 (and couldn't speak English), and with no-one to receive them, they went over with some people they met on the flight for the night. The initial many months were a huge struggle with their finances depleting fast. Based on her game, Maria later got a scholarship with the Nick Bollettieri tennis academy. It was well over 2 years before her mother got a visa to join them in the US. There are a lot of details of her training and how she rose to play professionally at the age of 14. There was also a period of confusion on whether she should go left-handed. This was the period when the Williams sisters rose to the top, especially Serena. 2004 represented a key breakthrough moment for Maria when she beat Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final at the age of 17. As per Maria, she heard from someone else that Serena was furious after her Wimbledon match, and this set off a bitter rivalry – with Serena winning a lot of their subsequent matches. Her hectic lifestyle and constant travel took a toll on any potential relationships. It is after many years that she moved away from her dad being a constant presence and a coach.
In the 2016 Australian Open, Maria failed a drug test with Meldonium being found in her blood. The ban for this substance came into effect only from Jan of that year. She had been taking a medication which had this substance for the past 10 years under prescription for heart health, and did not realize that this was now disallowed. This invited a 2-year ban which was subsequently reduced to 15 months on representation. The verdict did make the point that it seems to be completely inadvertent with no intention of cheating.
I loved the first half of the book on her early life and struggles. A lot of the material is very inspirational and a lot of credit goes to her dad for putting her career above everything else. The extent of sacrifice and challenges the two of them took on is very well related. The later sections have details on her training, matches & professional career. While the book meanders on and off to her attitude of never giving up, thankfully it falls well short of being boring bragging.
I listened to the audiobook which was told by Maria Sharapova herself and it was a pleasure to listen to.
My rating: 4.5 / 5.
October 12, 2017
Firstly, thank you to Net Galley, the publishers and Maria Sharapova, for an advanced copy for an honest review...
I believe I can give a honest review, as a former tennis coach for fifteen years, a player for thirty years, and a fan of men's and ladies tennis, who watches tennis all the time... and on the ATP and WTA website everyday !!
Firstly let me say that Maria Sharapova is an intelligent lady, and her honesty and forthright comments I am sure will shock some fans and also some players...
This book demonstrates the brutal, often tough battles to become a top tennis player, her hard work from the age of 4, yes 4 years old.
Life must of been tough coming to a country where you did not understand a word, young and innocent, but inside already a determined girl, with very high concentration levels...
As a fan, do I enjoy watching her style of tennis, not always, too noisy, and no different levels to her game...
As a person I admire her strength, brutal honesty, concentration, determination to win, her battles with injury, her fight back from all of these...
Her battles fighting a ban that I believe should not have happened, read the story and then you can see why. As a fitness fanatic, tennis coach and qualified nutritionist but also a diabetic !
You easily and quickly read through this very interesting book.
One thing I would have loved if one of her coaches had taught and worked on her weakness's more from a young age, movement from side to side, and to volley, slice, drop shot... a variation in her game..
One thing that stands out to me.... I hope Serena Williams does not read this book!!
I believe I can give a honest review, as a former tennis coach for fifteen years, a player for thirty years, and a fan of men's and ladies tennis, who watches tennis all the time... and on the ATP and WTA website everyday !!
Firstly let me say that Maria Sharapova is an intelligent lady, and her honesty and forthright comments I am sure will shock some fans and also some players...
This book demonstrates the brutal, often tough battles to become a top tennis player, her hard work from the age of 4, yes 4 years old.
Life must of been tough coming to a country where you did not understand a word, young and innocent, but inside already a determined girl, with very high concentration levels...
As a fan, do I enjoy watching her style of tennis, not always, too noisy, and no different levels to her game...
As a person I admire her strength, brutal honesty, concentration, determination to win, her battles with injury, her fight back from all of these...
Her battles fighting a ban that I believe should not have happened, read the story and then you can see why. As a fitness fanatic, tennis coach and qualified nutritionist but also a diabetic !
You easily and quickly read through this very interesting book.
One thing I would have loved if one of her coaches had taught and worked on her weakness's more from a young age, movement from side to side, and to volley, slice, drop shot... a variation in her game..
One thing that stands out to me.... I hope Serena Williams does not read this book!!
September 21, 2017
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
While I have been known to seldom read nonfiction, every now and then I find myself curious to read the autobiography/memoir of a certain famous person, specially an athlete, whose life and career I deem interesting. I think that behind one's success often lies an extraordinary and inspirational story which proves that anything that might initially seem impossible to achieve we can make it possible when the self-belief and willingness are strong enough and we are surrounded by people who desire to help us succeed. Maria Sharapova's life story is a perfect example to illustrate that. Although I have never been a fan of Sharapova's detached and arrogant on and off the court demeanour, her sometimes sarcastic remarks about other players and her loud and well known grunting, I strongly believe that she is a valuable asset to the tennis world and history, even after the big and ongoing controversy surrounding her 2-year suspension by ITF (eventually reduced to 15 months) and subsequent return to the WTA tour.
When Maria started working on this book she was seriously thinking about retiring from professional tennis in the near future. Her memoir was therefore meant to be a farewell. Her career obviously took an unforeseen turn at the beginning of 2016 when she received an email from ITF in which she was informed that she had tested positive for meldonium at the Australian Open and that she would be suspended from competion immediately.
In the intriguing prologue Sharapova describes the moment when she read the email from ITF and the different reactions she was overwhelmed by: shock, frustration, injustice. After researching on meldonium (known to her as mildronate and taken for medical reasons since 2006), a substance believed to be performance-enhancing, albeit not scientifically proven, and banned in sport since 1st of January 2016, she reached the conclusion that even though she was culpable for not checking the new list of prohibited drugs, she in no case deserved to be called a cheater and suspended for a 4-year period. All these unfortunate events reignited her passion for tennis and desire to return to the WTA tour as soon as possible and consequently she decided to fight against ITF for a reduced ban. Unstoppable turned out to be not a farewell, but rather an assurance that Sharapova is back in the game and motivated to reach the top once again. From this perspective I would personally interpret the title choice some people have complained about.
It is important to know that although the subject of her suspension necessitated a revealing discussion, it only accounts for a small part of the book. The first half is mainly about Sharapova's introduction to tennis at the early age of 4 in Sochi, her father's decision to immigrate with his little girl to the U.S. so that her talent could be properly harnessed, the financial and tennis-related difficulties they had experienced during the first years living in Florida and how they managed to overcome some of those problems by benefiting from certain people's benevolence, her WTA tour debut and Wimbledon win at 17 years old, when she defeated Serena Williams in the final.
In the second half of the book Sharapova continues to talk about the most prestigious tournaments she has won, the coaches she has hired or fired, her fierce rivalry with Serena Williams, the shoulder reconstruction surgery she underwent in 2008 and subsequent rehabilation, her relationships with Sasha Vujacic and Grigor Dimitrov.
Unstoppable is a well-written and heartfelt memoir which, as an avid tennis fan, I enjoyed immensely. I truly appreciate Sharapova for having the courage to open her heart to the public and speak very frankly about arguably the most difficult and emotionally consuming year she has experienced as a tennis player and public figure. I must admit that she grew on me both as an athlete and a mere human being and I am looking forward to seeing what she will be able to accomplish now that she resumed her tennis career. I found her autobiography unputdownable and I highly recommend it to those who love tennis just as much as I do, but also to the readers who are interested in an excellent and memorable autobiography/memoir.
Special thanks go to NetGalley, Penguin Books (UK) and Particular Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A pro athlete really dies twice. At the end, like everyone else, but also at somewhere closer to the beginning, when she loses the only life she's ever known.
While I have been known to seldom read nonfiction, every now and then I find myself curious to read the autobiography/memoir of a certain famous person, specially an athlete, whose life and career I deem interesting. I think that behind one's success often lies an extraordinary and inspirational story which proves that anything that might initially seem impossible to achieve we can make it possible when the self-belief and willingness are strong enough and we are surrounded by people who desire to help us succeed. Maria Sharapova's life story is a perfect example to illustrate that. Although I have never been a fan of Sharapova's detached and arrogant on and off the court demeanour, her sometimes sarcastic remarks about other players and her loud and well known grunting, I strongly believe that she is a valuable asset to the tennis world and history, even after the big and ongoing controversy surrounding her 2-year suspension by ITF (eventually reduced to 15 months) and subsequent return to the WTA tour.
When Maria started working on this book she was seriously thinking about retiring from professional tennis in the near future. Her memoir was therefore meant to be a farewell. Her career obviously took an unforeseen turn at the beginning of 2016 when she received an email from ITF in which she was informed that she had tested positive for meldonium at the Australian Open and that she would be suspended from competion immediately.
In the intriguing prologue Sharapova describes the moment when she read the email from ITF and the different reactions she was overwhelmed by: shock, frustration, injustice. After researching on meldonium (known to her as mildronate and taken for medical reasons since 2006), a substance believed to be performance-enhancing, albeit not scientifically proven, and banned in sport since 1st of January 2016, she reached the conclusion that even though she was culpable for not checking the new list of prohibited drugs, she in no case deserved to be called a cheater and suspended for a 4-year period. All these unfortunate events reignited her passion for tennis and desire to return to the WTA tour as soon as possible and consequently she decided to fight against ITF for a reduced ban. Unstoppable turned out to be not a farewell, but rather an assurance that Sharapova is back in the game and motivated to reach the top once again. From this perspective I would personally interpret the title choice some people have complained about.
It is important to know that although the subject of her suspension necessitated a revealing discussion, it only accounts for a small part of the book. The first half is mainly about Sharapova's introduction to tennis at the early age of 4 in Sochi, her father's decision to immigrate with his little girl to the U.S. so that her talent could be properly harnessed, the financial and tennis-related difficulties they had experienced during the first years living in Florida and how they managed to overcome some of those problems by benefiting from certain people's benevolence, her WTA tour debut and Wimbledon win at 17 years old, when she defeated Serena Williams in the final.
The tennis parent is the will of the player before the player has formed a will of her own.
In the second half of the book Sharapova continues to talk about the most prestigious tournaments she has won, the coaches she has hired or fired, her fierce rivalry with Serena Williams, the shoulder reconstruction surgery she underwent in 2008 and subsequent rehabilation, her relationships with Sasha Vujacic and Grigor Dimitrov.
Unstoppable is a well-written and heartfelt memoir which, as an avid tennis fan, I enjoyed immensely. I truly appreciate Sharapova for having the courage to open her heart to the public and speak very frankly about arguably the most difficult and emotionally consuming year she has experienced as a tennis player and public figure. I must admit that she grew on me both as an athlete and a mere human being and I am looking forward to seeing what she will be able to accomplish now that she resumed her tennis career. I found her autobiography unputdownable and I highly recommend it to those who love tennis just as much as I do, but also to the readers who are interested in an excellent and memorable autobiography/memoir.
Special thanks go to NetGalley, Penguin Books (UK) and Particular Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 16, 2017
An interesting title as she is not unstoppable. Sharapova has been stopped by her drug use. She cheated and got caught--shameful. Her character or lack there of has been revealed. This autobiography lacks honesty and integrity. Not a role model for aspiring athletes.
January 2, 2025
نقطه ی مثبت این کتاب صداقتیِ که شاراپووا به خرج داده. مثلاً از نوشتن درباره ی آسیبدیدگی، فشاری که متحمل شده زمانیکه سوپراستار جهانی شده و تعلیق تبلیغاتی که باهاش مواجه بوده وقتی آزمایشش به خاطر مصرف یه داروی ممنوعه مثبت شده، ابایی نداشته.
September 18, 2017
2.5 Unstoppable is easy to read but lacking in real depth. Maria Sharapova's personal story of coming to America at a very young age (without her mother) with a dream to become a tennis superstar is intriguing. The problem is her memoir is superficial. The reader never really learns her real feelings about her parents, what made her a winner and just about everything she discusses. The one thing you do come away with is how the world of a pro athlete is big business.
September 16, 2017
As a fan of most sports I have always enjoyed learning more about the game through the lives of those playing and personally involved.
My tennis knowledge is based on watchjng Wimbledon from a child and when I had children myself taking them to UK tournaments in Birmingham and Nottingham.
I was therefore blessed to watch Sharapova warm up and play a singles match. I was struck by her commitment and drive. So when offered a chance to read an early ARC of Maria's book "Unstoppable" I was delighted.
From the first page I have found myself totally immersed in her story. I enjoyed the friendly and honest disclosures and those wonderful insights into her mental as well as physical conditioning.
The sacrifice that had to be made to turn a promising 4 year old who could hit a tennis ball into a champion is indeed a remarkable account. How she has focused so much of her youth to leave her home and follow her father's dream to the USA. How she learned to trust others and be wary of the girls who would be her competitors for the majority of her growing up.
I think what struck a chord with me early in the piece was her honesty and approach to winning and losing. Her motivation was to succeed and beat all the other girls but that came through a routine and long hours of practice.
The elephant in the room remains her recent drug ban. She meets this head on and concludes with her response to all her critics. It was interesting that she was already planning her retirement and this book before that scandal hit the headlines in early 2016. That she battled back to return to tennis and compete is remarkable until you read this book and see how Maria overcame a serious shoulder injury in her career. You as left judging the sports woman solely on her record and the joy she has brought fans of tennis.
She may remain a controversial figure in the world of Tennis but after reading this book I can not be anything other than a fan. When she finally retires the game will lose a great ambassador and I trust everyone will not rush to judge in ignorance but from the facts and that history will judge her as a true champion of her sport based on her record alone.
At a time when other players courted fame and publicity as soon as it came their way, it was a refreshing change to see a child to grow into a young woman and a mature adult. Maria will always have her distractors but anyone reading her own story will share my appreciation of a writer who has opened her heart and allowed us to share Centre Court with her.
My tennis knowledge is based on watchjng Wimbledon from a child and when I had children myself taking them to UK tournaments in Birmingham and Nottingham.
I was therefore blessed to watch Sharapova warm up and play a singles match. I was struck by her commitment and drive. So when offered a chance to read an early ARC of Maria's book "Unstoppable" I was delighted.
From the first page I have found myself totally immersed in her story. I enjoyed the friendly and honest disclosures and those wonderful insights into her mental as well as physical conditioning.
The sacrifice that had to be made to turn a promising 4 year old who could hit a tennis ball into a champion is indeed a remarkable account. How she has focused so much of her youth to leave her home and follow her father's dream to the USA. How she learned to trust others and be wary of the girls who would be her competitors for the majority of her growing up.
I think what struck a chord with me early in the piece was her honesty and approach to winning and losing. Her motivation was to succeed and beat all the other girls but that came through a routine and long hours of practice.
The elephant in the room remains her recent drug ban. She meets this head on and concludes with her response to all her critics. It was interesting that she was already planning her retirement and this book before that scandal hit the headlines in early 2016. That she battled back to return to tennis and compete is remarkable until you read this book and see how Maria overcame a serious shoulder injury in her career. You as left judging the sports woman solely on her record and the joy she has brought fans of tennis.
She may remain a controversial figure in the world of Tennis but after reading this book I can not be anything other than a fan. When she finally retires the game will lose a great ambassador and I trust everyone will not rush to judge in ignorance but from the facts and that history will judge her as a true champion of her sport based on her record alone.
At a time when other players courted fame and publicity as soon as it came their way, it was a refreshing change to see a child to grow into a young woman and a mature adult. Maria will always have her distractors but anyone reading her own story will share my appreciation of a writer who has opened her heart and allowed us to share Centre Court with her.
September 4, 2017
The Most Brilliant Autobiography for Tennis Fans
I love tennis, but I’ve never been a particular fan of Maria (or Masha, as I learned from the book) Sharapova. Despite this, I couldn’t put down ‘Unstoppable’. I was hooked from the first word to the last. This book is not your usual memoir of a top professional tennis player. Its raw honesty allows you to have a rare and unique glimpse into the world of professional tennis and what it takes to get into it.
Let me start this review by praising Yuri Sharapov, Maria’s dad. This memoir superbly describes the struggle he had on his hands. If you’re a parent thinking about teaching your extremely talented and willing little one to play tennis with some high hopes for the future, this book is the ultimate must read for you. You can find out a lot about the true extent you have to be prepared to go in order to give your offspring a realistic chance to make it to the ranks of the pros.
What Maria Sharapova’s father achieved is nothing short of unbelievably amazing. He demonstrated total commitment, dedication, and determination to help his daughter achieve his ultimate dream. Starting from living in poverty in an isolated city in the collapsing Soviet Union, he made his daughter the most celebrated young champion of Wimbledon in just 13 years.
This book is not for you if you want to read tennis gossip. It’s edited to perfection and shows that the author is as focused on emphasizing the important things surrounding professional tennis as she usually is on the tennis court to win her next point. Her insights make this memoir ‘unputdownable’.
Particularly interesting parts are her truly honest descriptions of her encounters with Serena Williams. I’ve been a great fan of Serena, and Maria’s account of why she thinks she has such a bad – 2 to19 up to date – record against her was really thought provoking for me. I might have even figured out what may help her to beat Serena in the future. However, my theory is beyond the extent of this review. Then there are some parts in this autobiography where I had to laugh out loud. One of it was the story of hiring and firing Jimmy Connor as a coach.
If there is only one good thing which came out of Maria Sharapova’s unfair doping ban, then it’s the superb quality of this memoir. She managed to find the time to make it brilliant. On the downside the millions of tennis fans had to miss watching her play for 15 whole months which included the Rio Olympics.
The simple fact that the medication she occasionally took for more than a decade was legal up to the beginning of 2016, and she had not a single warning from the authorities during the year of 2015, tells it all. I’m amazed that WADA doesn’t test urine samples for newly added banned substances during notice periods. A single warning from WADA in 2015 would have been enough for her to avoid this unnecessary 15 months ban.
Recently even some of Maria’s WTA competitors are calling her a doper. I strongly recommend them to read at least the last few pages of this book which includes the findings of the CAS panel. The only thing these girls prove is that they’re scared of being no match for Sharapova on the court, so they have to try to ‘put her down’ outside the court.
For Masha I have this message:
Congratulations for reaching round 4 in the 2017 US Open after that long break and multiple injuries. Carry on, girl! Beat them all!
This review can also be found on my website:
https://oliviawildbooks.wordpress.com...
I love tennis, but I’ve never been a particular fan of Maria (or Masha, as I learned from the book) Sharapova. Despite this, I couldn’t put down ‘Unstoppable’. I was hooked from the first word to the last. This book is not your usual memoir of a top professional tennis player. Its raw honesty allows you to have a rare and unique glimpse into the world of professional tennis and what it takes to get into it.
Let me start this review by praising Yuri Sharapov, Maria’s dad. This memoir superbly describes the struggle he had on his hands. If you’re a parent thinking about teaching your extremely talented and willing little one to play tennis with some high hopes for the future, this book is the ultimate must read for you. You can find out a lot about the true extent you have to be prepared to go in order to give your offspring a realistic chance to make it to the ranks of the pros.
What Maria Sharapova’s father achieved is nothing short of unbelievably amazing. He demonstrated total commitment, dedication, and determination to help his daughter achieve his ultimate dream. Starting from living in poverty in an isolated city in the collapsing Soviet Union, he made his daughter the most celebrated young champion of Wimbledon in just 13 years.
This book is not for you if you want to read tennis gossip. It’s edited to perfection and shows that the author is as focused on emphasizing the important things surrounding professional tennis as she usually is on the tennis court to win her next point. Her insights make this memoir ‘unputdownable’.
Particularly interesting parts are her truly honest descriptions of her encounters with Serena Williams. I’ve been a great fan of Serena, and Maria’s account of why she thinks she has such a bad – 2 to19 up to date – record against her was really thought provoking for me. I might have even figured out what may help her to beat Serena in the future. However, my theory is beyond the extent of this review. Then there are some parts in this autobiography where I had to laugh out loud. One of it was the story of hiring and firing Jimmy Connor as a coach.
If there is only one good thing which came out of Maria Sharapova’s unfair doping ban, then it’s the superb quality of this memoir. She managed to find the time to make it brilliant. On the downside the millions of tennis fans had to miss watching her play for 15 whole months which included the Rio Olympics.
The simple fact that the medication she occasionally took for more than a decade was legal up to the beginning of 2016, and she had not a single warning from the authorities during the year of 2015, tells it all. I’m amazed that WADA doesn’t test urine samples for newly added banned substances during notice periods. A single warning from WADA in 2015 would have been enough for her to avoid this unnecessary 15 months ban.
Recently even some of Maria’s WTA competitors are calling her a doper. I strongly recommend them to read at least the last few pages of this book which includes the findings of the CAS panel. The only thing these girls prove is that they’re scared of being no match for Sharapova on the court, so they have to try to ‘put her down’ outside the court.
For Masha I have this message:
Congratulations for reaching round 4 in the 2017 US Open after that long break and multiple injuries. Carry on, girl! Beat them all!
This review can also be found on my website:
https://oliviawildbooks.wordpress.com...
September 19, 2017
Firstly I would like to point out that I am neither a huge Tennis fan or have any particular allegiance to Maria Sharapova but I was drawn to this book by the description I read about the book. This is the story of a 6 year old girl who was taken by her father from Russia to Florida in an effort to make her a successful Tennis player. With very little money and a minimum of English both Maria and her father show tremendous determination, drive and belief to achieve their goals. It tells how a family that fled after the Chernobyl disaster to build a new life that would achieve greatness in women's tennis.
I found this biography absorbing, to read of such determination to succeed and of the sacrifices made to ensure their dreams.
I would like to thank Penguin Books UK and Net Galley for supplying a copy of this biography in exchange for an honest review.
I found this biography absorbing, to read of such determination to succeed and of the sacrifices made to ensure their dreams.
I would like to thank Penguin Books UK and Net Galley for supplying a copy of this biography in exchange for an honest review.
November 27, 2017
Tennis is one of the handful of sports that I don't like to miss when it's viewable on television and have watched all the televised tournaments since I was a young girl. Of course, being British my favourite grand slam has to be Wimbledon - taking place in the summer months when the grass is lush and green. I plan to get tickets on a year that I know I'll be able to attend.
I am not usually one for autobiographical books but when I was offered the chance to read an advance copy of UNSTOPPABLE - MY LIFE SO FAR I jumped at the chance! It is the first autobiography I have read and found engaging throughout in many years. Those who have an interest in tennis know something of the sacrifice players make in order to get to the top of their game but not a lot of people know the full story so this book was a must-read for me.
In 2016, before the results of a drug test banned her from tennis, Maria Sharapova thought about the end of her career. She would play until the U.S. Open of 2017 and then walk away at age 30, her playing days complete no matter the results on court. These days retirement isn’t in her mind. After a 15-month suspension she’s competing again and, at the U.S. Open, played better than anyone expected. This performance rejuvenated her and she had a renewed interest in the game and in winning again. Due to this she decided she would carry on playing on tour for several more years.
Yuri, Maria's (Masha's) father believed in her talent from a young age and made the decision to move to the United States from Russia in 1994 in order to further Maria's career prospects. Due to visa issues this meant leaving her mother behind in the family home thousands of miles away. Little did she know, it would be around two years until she saw her mother again. I know that I would have found that very difficult as a child but tiny Maria was tough. If her father had thought that everything would fall into place soon after their emigration that illusion would soon be shattered and the hardest few years would be upon them.
The book goes on to discuss - her first Grand Slam victory at Wimbledon against Serena Williams. Then the aftermath and both the pros and cons of becoming a tennis professional and the celebrity status that comes with that, the journey to the number one spot and the impact it had on her life.
I enjoyed reading about Sharapova and the life she has dedicated to her sport. I feel it was a frank and honest look at her life and the highs and lows as well as her feelings.
I highly recommend this book to all fans of tennis, it's a well written, thought provoking read that leaves you with a lot of admiration for Sharapova.
I am not usually one for autobiographical books but when I was offered the chance to read an advance copy of UNSTOPPABLE - MY LIFE SO FAR I jumped at the chance! It is the first autobiography I have read and found engaging throughout in many years. Those who have an interest in tennis know something of the sacrifice players make in order to get to the top of their game but not a lot of people know the full story so this book was a must-read for me.
In 2016, before the results of a drug test banned her from tennis, Maria Sharapova thought about the end of her career. She would play until the U.S. Open of 2017 and then walk away at age 30, her playing days complete no matter the results on court. These days retirement isn’t in her mind. After a 15-month suspension she’s competing again and, at the U.S. Open, played better than anyone expected. This performance rejuvenated her and she had a renewed interest in the game and in winning again. Due to this she decided she would carry on playing on tour for several more years.
Yuri, Maria's (Masha's) father believed in her talent from a young age and made the decision to move to the United States from Russia in 1994 in order to further Maria's career prospects. Due to visa issues this meant leaving her mother behind in the family home thousands of miles away. Little did she know, it would be around two years until she saw her mother again. I know that I would have found that very difficult as a child but tiny Maria was tough. If her father had thought that everything would fall into place soon after their emigration that illusion would soon be shattered and the hardest few years would be upon them.
The book goes on to discuss - her first Grand Slam victory at Wimbledon against Serena Williams. Then the aftermath and both the pros and cons of becoming a tennis professional and the celebrity status that comes with that, the journey to the number one spot and the impact it had on her life.
I enjoyed reading about Sharapova and the life she has dedicated to her sport. I feel it was a frank and honest look at her life and the highs and lows as well as her feelings.
I highly recommend this book to all fans of tennis, it's a well written, thought provoking read that leaves you with a lot of admiration for Sharapova.
September 5, 2017
I love a good Sports memoir so I was keen to read Maria Sharapova's autobiography. I wasn't disappointed. With a sometimes humorous and always honest look back over her 30 years of life Sharapova takes you on a journey from her conception, in a region affected by the Chernobyl disaster, through to her youngest days in Sochi and her move to America as a seven year old.
Unlike many sporting memoirs this isn't simply a list of matches played and how she approached them and felt afterwards., although there is an element of that of course, she skims through a few of her professional seasons talking in depth about only her grand slam wins. The chapter about her first Wimbledon win is especially good. The characters she meets along the way, mainly the men in her life - her father, Yuri, agent Max and her coaches from her youngest days - are evocatively described, often with genuine love and affection.
Her drugs ban is elegantly dealt with and she offers an honest appraisal of how she was caught out which made me feel like she had been a little unfairly treated. Obviously, as the writer, Sharapova wants people to feel that way but I didn't feel like she was setting out to manipulate her audience. Like the rest of her book, she is honest, often brutally so and it's hard not to find that likable.
This is a fascinating account of an exceptionally driven young woman that offers real colour and personality to someone who is often thought of as a bit lacking in that department. Maria's strong sense of fun and love of her sport shines through, even though she claims that no top tennis player plays for love of the game. My opinion of her has risen since reading this engaging and interesting book.
Unlike many sporting memoirs this isn't simply a list of matches played and how she approached them and felt afterwards., although there is an element of that of course, she skims through a few of her professional seasons talking in depth about only her grand slam wins. The chapter about her first Wimbledon win is especially good. The characters she meets along the way, mainly the men in her life - her father, Yuri, agent Max and her coaches from her youngest days - are evocatively described, often with genuine love and affection.
Her drugs ban is elegantly dealt with and she offers an honest appraisal of how she was caught out which made me feel like she had been a little unfairly treated. Obviously, as the writer, Sharapova wants people to feel that way but I didn't feel like she was setting out to manipulate her audience. Like the rest of her book, she is honest, often brutally so and it's hard not to find that likable.
This is a fascinating account of an exceptionally driven young woman that offers real colour and personality to someone who is often thought of as a bit lacking in that department. Maria's strong sense of fun and love of her sport shines through, even though she claims that no top tennis player plays for love of the game. My opinion of her has risen since reading this engaging and interesting book.
October 5, 2023
Sharapova is a force and this work is the story of said force.
Among the greatest tennis players with a powerful serve that annihilated everything in front of herself, including herself, also with with deep and extremely powerful balls, all WTA titles and Grand Slams would only confirm part of her much-feared status on the court.
However, there is more, much more and in her autobiography it is possible to follow the life of the tennis player from the age of 4 until almost the end of her career: with ups and downs, terrible and funny situations, with frankness and perfect moments, Sharapova traces from nothing to fame, bringing into his story characters like Lindsay Davenport, Kim Clijsters, Justine Henin, Maria Kirilenko, Serena Williams and Simona Halep and their big clashes on the court.
The book is, therefore, for those who either like tennis, the tennis player, or who are at least curious about her trajectory. As I like all this, in particular to see many matches, such as the Wimbledon 2004 and U.S Open 2006 finals, being narrated by those who were there, this was an excellent read for me. Reading is fun and reading about a sport we love is even more fun, as good as seeing the flawless clash between Iga Swiatek and Karolína Muchová in the Roland Garros 2023 final.
Among the greatest tennis players with a powerful serve that annihilated everything in front of herself, including herself, also with with deep and extremely powerful balls, all WTA titles and Grand Slams would only confirm part of her much-feared status on the court.
However, there is more, much more and in her autobiography it is possible to follow the life of the tennis player from the age of 4 until almost the end of her career: with ups and downs, terrible and funny situations, with frankness and perfect moments, Sharapova traces from nothing to fame, bringing into his story characters like Lindsay Davenport, Kim Clijsters, Justine Henin, Maria Kirilenko, Serena Williams and Simona Halep and their big clashes on the court.
The book is, therefore, for those who either like tennis, the tennis player, or who are at least curious about her trajectory. As I like all this, in particular to see many matches, such as the Wimbledon 2004 and U.S Open 2006 finals, being narrated by those who were there, this was an excellent read for me. Reading is fun and reading about a sport we love is even more fun, as good as seeing the flawless clash between Iga Swiatek and Karolína Muchová in the Roland Garros 2023 final.
October 8, 2020
Before reading:
I use this comment to say a huge happy birthday to my tennis idol Maria Sharapova! Wishes for health, love and plenty of success on and off court! And beat all of your opponents! I can't wait to read this book! :)
After reading:
This book made me love Maria even more! Such a great human-being and an amazing champion! I love to read about her tough childhood, her first years in the USA and all of the sacrifices of her family! I remembered all of her significant matches, including the first match that I watched by her. That Wimbledon match made me a true and loyal fan of her and I started watching tennis from this exact moment. I was with her through her in her most painful moments - her wrong drug case and her shoulder injuries.
God bless you, Maria! Keep the fighting spirit and keep proving all of the haters wrong! I love you forever!
Great story and writing style! Love it! Congrats to our translator too! Great job!
I use this comment to say a huge happy birthday to my tennis idol Maria Sharapova! Wishes for health, love and plenty of success on and off court! And beat all of your opponents! I can't wait to read this book! :)
After reading:
This book made me love Maria even more! Such a great human-being and an amazing champion! I love to read about her tough childhood, her first years in the USA and all of the sacrifices of her family! I remembered all of her significant matches, including the first match that I watched by her. That Wimbledon match made me a true and loyal fan of her and I started watching tennis from this exact moment. I was with her through her in her most painful moments - her wrong drug case and her shoulder injuries.
God bless you, Maria! Keep the fighting spirit and keep proving all of the haters wrong! I love you forever!
Great story and writing style! Love it! Congrats to our translator too! Great job!
September 29, 2017
I was very interested in reading about Maria's Sharapova's background as I had no idea of it. She was almost born near to Chernobyl in the town of Gomel which is either 40 miles or 100 miles away according to whichever version in the book is factually correct...or not. Because of their concern about the effect that the Chernobyl fallout was having on their area her parents moved to Western Siberia just before Maria was born.
Her talent and grit for playing tennis was evident at a very early age when she was gifted a tennis racquet aged 4. Her parents made some huge sacrifices in their lives, including living apart for almost 3 years, in order to get Maria to the USA so she could get some better training and coaching. Reading about how that happened in reality was a little surreal and made me wonder if this was really the true story as parts sounded farfetched.
I would have liked this book a lot more but for her constant sniping about Serena Williams. I have no idea if Serena really did behave badly towards Maria or not but Maria Sharapova starting four consecutive sentences about Serena with ‘I think she hated me for ...’ says it all. She is assuming Serena hates hers with no real ground for doing so. I found most of her 104 mentions of Serena in the book in very poor taste and quite unnecessary. If you are having a petty squabble with someone, real or imagined, don’t involve others who don’t know either side.
I also found her constant refrain that is not out to make friends on the tennis tour as they are her opponents sad. She seems to believe that anyone who says they have friends is lying as really they all hate one another. If that is the case it’s curious that so many top tennis players spend so much time in each other’s company both during their main career and afterwards.
A book that started well but descended into pettiness and meaness towards others.
With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books (UK) for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Her talent and grit for playing tennis was evident at a very early age when she was gifted a tennis racquet aged 4. Her parents made some huge sacrifices in their lives, including living apart for almost 3 years, in order to get Maria to the USA so she could get some better training and coaching. Reading about how that happened in reality was a little surreal and made me wonder if this was really the true story as parts sounded farfetched.
I would have liked this book a lot more but for her constant sniping about Serena Williams. I have no idea if Serena really did behave badly towards Maria or not but Maria Sharapova starting four consecutive sentences about Serena with ‘I think she hated me for ...’ says it all. She is assuming Serena hates hers with no real ground for doing so. I found most of her 104 mentions of Serena in the book in very poor taste and quite unnecessary. If you are having a petty squabble with someone, real or imagined, don’t involve others who don’t know either side.
I also found her constant refrain that is not out to make friends on the tennis tour as they are her opponents sad. She seems to believe that anyone who says they have friends is lying as really they all hate one another. If that is the case it’s curious that so many top tennis players spend so much time in each other’s company both during their main career and afterwards.
A book that started well but descended into pettiness and meaness towards others.
With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books (UK) for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 10, 2022
„Някои дни са като диаманти, други са като камъни.“
„Животът ме беше научил, че няма пълно щастие. Не можеш да контролираш онова, което хората казват или мислят за теб. Не можеш да знаеш кога ще те сполети лош късмет. Можеш единствено да се трудиш здраво, да даваш всичко от себе си и да казваш истината. В крайна сметка най-важни са усилията. Останалото е отвъд нашите възможности. Как ще приключи всичко, как ще се оттегля. Вече не се замислям за това. Ще играя, докато мога. Доколкото мога. Докато не свалят мрежите. Докато не изгорят ракетите ми. Докато не ме спрат. Ще ми се да опитат.“
Мария, (или както е истинското ти име - Маша), благодаря ти за тази книга, която е невероятно вдъхновение. ВЕЛИКА си, Маша! ВЕЛИКА! ❤️
„Животът ме беше научил, че няма пълно щастие. Не можеш да контролираш онова, което хората казват или мислят за теб. Не можеш да знаеш кога ще те сполети лош късмет. Можеш единствено да се трудиш здраво, да даваш всичко от себе си и да казваш истината. В крайна сметка най-важни са усилията. Останалото е отвъд нашите възможности. Как ще приключи всичко, как ще се оттегля. Вече не се замислям за това. Ще играя, докато мога. Доколкото мога. Докато не свалят мрежите. Докато не изгорят ракетите ми. Докато не ме спрат. Ще ми се да опитат.“
Мария, (или както е истинското ти име - Маша), благодаря ти за тази книга, която е невероятно вдъхновение. ВЕЛИКА си, Маша! ВЕЛИКА! ❤️
July 9, 2018
تو اين كتاب از زمان بچگيش تا الان نوشته و چه خوب كه پدرش در همه مراحل زندگيش همراهيش كرده ولي حس ميكنم همه چيزو نگفته،چيزايي گفته كه ميخواسته بقيه بدونن راجبش و محافظه كاري كرده و خيلي هم با غرور نوشته،همش دوبار ويليامز رو شكست داده چقد تعريف كرده ازش
September 4, 2017
Like many people with an interest in sport or tennis I found myself caught up in the huge news story about Maria Sharapova found guilty of taking performance enhancing drugs – namely Meldonium – in 2016. Who was to blame and why did it happen, all this and more is answered in Unstoppable.
I have to admit I really enjoyed reading the biography about one of tennis’s most glamorous female players to have graced the court, certainly in the last decade or so. Not that glamour has any right to win tennis matches, just look at Anna Kournikova. She never reached a slam final and although talented never quite made the grade. I digress!
The narrative is easy to read and flows well, it’s a great writing team. The style is interesting too, I can’t quite put my finger on it but it flows well and delves into many of Maria’s struggles from nothing to five time grand slam champion. One of the highlights for me was learning more about her early life, the support and driven nature of her father Yuri, and leaving her mother behind in Russia for two years when she moved to Florida for coaching. It just shows how strong she was as a young girl to cope mentally without the physical support of her mother in America.
When they arrive in Florida neither father or daughter speak English yet through sheer determination they work their way into the US tennis fraternity and her tennis life begins in earnest. We discover her thoughts on Serena Williams, why she wouldn’t watch her practice and why she believes Williams has the better of the Russian.
Another interesting period was when she left Nick Bollettieri’s Tennis Academy (now IMG owned) and had to settle for another academy that really ended on a sour note. You’ll just have to read the book on that!
As I mentioned at the top of the review many reading the book will be interested to hear what Maria thought of the failed drug test following the Australian Open in Melbourne, the two year ban and the fallout from the news. Most of us at the time were expecting Maria to announce her retirement but what came from the press conference was a complete shock. Although she does cover the topic towards the end of the book, her irregular EKG results and the fact she’d been taking the drug for over 10 years I did want to read more. The newspapers went to town, there’s nothing greater than the sport of building someone up just to knock them down at the earliest opportunity. As Maria says in her biography – the newspapers really went after her. Everything she had accomplished was shot down within hours.
A very interesting biography I was thoroughly entertained and I learned a lot about Maria not only as a top ranking tennis player but as a person and the thing I left with was an appreciation for who she is more so than her accomplishments on the court. She comes across as a determined young woman who will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. Let’s face it, winning five grand slams doesn’t come easy. Well worth a read.
I have to admit I really enjoyed reading the biography about one of tennis’s most glamorous female players to have graced the court, certainly in the last decade or so. Not that glamour has any right to win tennis matches, just look at Anna Kournikova. She never reached a slam final and although talented never quite made the grade. I digress!
The narrative is easy to read and flows well, it’s a great writing team. The style is interesting too, I can’t quite put my finger on it but it flows well and delves into many of Maria’s struggles from nothing to five time grand slam champion. One of the highlights for me was learning more about her early life, the support and driven nature of her father Yuri, and leaving her mother behind in Russia for two years when she moved to Florida for coaching. It just shows how strong she was as a young girl to cope mentally without the physical support of her mother in America.
When they arrive in Florida neither father or daughter speak English yet through sheer determination they work their way into the US tennis fraternity and her tennis life begins in earnest. We discover her thoughts on Serena Williams, why she wouldn’t watch her practice and why she believes Williams has the better of the Russian.
Another interesting period was when she left Nick Bollettieri’s Tennis Academy (now IMG owned) and had to settle for another academy that really ended on a sour note. You’ll just have to read the book on that!
As I mentioned at the top of the review many reading the book will be interested to hear what Maria thought of the failed drug test following the Australian Open in Melbourne, the two year ban and the fallout from the news. Most of us at the time were expecting Maria to announce her retirement but what came from the press conference was a complete shock. Although she does cover the topic towards the end of the book, her irregular EKG results and the fact she’d been taking the drug for over 10 years I did want to read more. The newspapers went to town, there’s nothing greater than the sport of building someone up just to knock them down at the earliest opportunity. As Maria says in her biography – the newspapers really went after her. Everything she had accomplished was shot down within hours.
A very interesting biography I was thoroughly entertained and I learned a lot about Maria not only as a top ranking tennis player but as a person and the thing I left with was an appreciation for who she is more so than her accomplishments on the court. She comes across as a determined young woman who will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. Let’s face it, winning five grand slams doesn’t come easy. Well worth a read.
September 2, 2017
A great, honest and personal read. Unlike so many autobiographies I have read this felt personal as in it felt like it was Maria talking (or writing) just to me, a private conversion. This is written true to many of here early coaches who Maria described as no bullshiters to quote her, and she tells you it warts and all. Many will know a lot of Maria Sharapova's story as it has been lived out in the public eye but as you read this and I encourage you to and highly recommend you do, you will discover the person instead of the story. How do you become the world's best? It will start with a single step or a single hit, for Maria Sharapova it includes single grand slams and titles and a single driven....... well read the book she will tell you. I truly felt every page was Maria telling her story her way it felt real and that's because it is.
I have been given a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for a honest review.
I have been given a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for a honest review.
December 29, 2017
"Неудържима" е най-завладяващата автобиография, която прочетох през тази година и то буквално на един дъх! Мария Шарапова винаги е изглеждала за мен като студен човек и арогантен състезател на корта. Връзката й с Григор Димитров ме накара да започна да й симпатизирам поне мъничко, а след като прочетох книгата й дори повече! Съвсем откровено Маша дава отговор защо изглежда така заплашително на корта, защо няма приятелки сред другите тенисистки и защо от 10 години не може да победи Серина Уилямс, откъде започва омразата между двете (а истината е повече от интригуваща). За любовният си живот разказва малко и без подробности-описва 2 от връзките си, като едната от тях е с нашето момче,с което остават в добри отношения и след раздялата си, а тяхна обща снимка е поместена и в автобиографията й.
December 29, 2019
اولین سرگذشت نامه ای ورزشی بود که مطالعه کردم و قطعا در آینده سرگذشت نامه های ورزشی بیشتر خواهم خواند.
لطفا اگر سرگذشت نامه ورزشی جالب توجهی مطالعه کردید، معرفی کنید.
لطفا اگر سرگذشت نامه ورزشی جالب توجهی مطالعه کردید، معرفی کنید.
September 7, 2017
thanks to the publishers and netgalley for a free copy in return for an open and honest review.
Found this book very interesting especially from her ban from tennis and wanted to learn more about the background to her career and her growing up in russia and moving to the states to improve her tennis career at a young age, however felt the book in the middle late sections wasn't as good as the earlier sections but feel that this book would suit tennis fans.
Found this book very interesting especially from her ban from tennis and wanted to learn more about the background to her career and her growing up in russia and moving to the states to improve her tennis career at a young age, however felt the book in the middle late sections wasn't as good as the earlier sections but feel that this book would suit tennis fans.
August 10, 2021
It was the year 2006 and my dad was watching the US Open final. I had never held a racket in my life and I wasn't the kind of person who watches sports on tv, but for some reason that night I wanted to sit and join dad. He told me her favorite player was Justine Henin, who had won myriad tournaments and once more had made it to a grand slam final. Justine was playing against a tall, blonde russian dressed in a little black dress; it was Sharapova. At that time I had no idea who Maria was, and I had abdolutely no understanding of tennis, except from what my dad had explained while the match was happening. But there was something about Maria that captivated me. I loved the intensity with which she hit the ball, her game, her determination, how she was fighting the fight and her champion spirit.
That night Maria not only lifted the trophy and won that Grand Slam, but she also unknowingly started our journey together...
I love waking up early in the morning, or staying up really late to watch her play - I don't mind that the circuit is long and the time zones change. Sometimes I enjoy the game, some others I get angry and suffer while she struggles. I live her victories and her defeats as if they were my own. But above all that, I love that Maria is a champion and in this book she really shows that. Unstoppable is raw, honest and real. Maria tells us everything, she keeps nothing to herself: her childhood in Sochi, the immigration to America, the long and exhausting hours of training, how she missed her mom, how she got suspended, in short: the ups and downs, the good and also the bad.
What I liked the most is how she described her relationship with her family. I know Maria got were she is because she is driven and has determination, besides loving tennins very much, but her dad deserves a special mention. Yuri sacrificed everything, what he had and what he didn't for her daughter and I'm not sure if every parent would do that for their kid.
Maria is someone who inspires me because she is courageous, driven, strong and above all she is always trying to improve, win and outdo herself. Because I feel the tennis court is a metaphor for life, so even though I don't play tennis she can still inspire me and show me that if you work hard, if you fight for what you want and if you don't give up you can achieve your goals and dreams.
-------------------------
Allá por el año 2006 mi papá miraba la final US Open. Jamás toque una raqueta en mi vida, tampoco miraba deportes por tv, pero esa noche quise mirar. A papá le gustaba como jugaba Justine Henin, que había ganado muchísimos torneos y una vez más había llegado a una final. Justine se enfrentaba a una rusa alta y rubia con un vestidito negro, era Sharapova. Yo no tenía ni la menor idea de quién era María, pero me encantó su juego, su determinación y su espíritu de campeona. María levantó la copa, ganó el Grand Slam y a partir de ese momento comencé nuestro viaje juntas.
Me encanta levantarme temprano a ver los partidos o quedarme despierta hasta tarde, porque el circuito es largo y los husos horarios cambian, aunque también sufro cuando pierde y cuando no hace las cosas bien. Vivir sus derrotas y triunfos como si fueran propios. Pero sobre todas las cosas me encanta que María es una campeona, y en este libro realmente lo demuestra. Es crudo, duro y real. No se calla nada, cuenta todo —desde su infancia en Sochi, la inmigración a los Estados Unidos, las largas horas de práctica cuando era chica, la suspensión del circuito — los altos y bajos, lo bueno y lo malo. Todo con honestidad y sin nada de filtro.
Lo que más destaco, además de su propia voluntad y amor por lo que hace es el gran sostén que tiene por parte de su familia, en especial Yuri. La verdad es que María tiene un papá que vale oro porque las cosas que hizo ese hombre para que su hija llegue donde tenía que estar son increíbles y no sé si todo el mundo se sacrificaría así.
De María siempre admire su coraje, la fuerza que tiene y sobre todo las ganas de ganar y de superarse a sí misma. Porque siento que la cancha es como una metáfora de la vida, entonces aunque yo no juegue tenis ella siempre me demuestra que si se lucha, las cosas se consiguen y que nunca hay que bajar los brazos.
María se merece todo lo que consiguió y mucho más, porque es una campeona, pero también una leona.
That night Maria not only lifted the trophy and won that Grand Slam, but she also unknowingly started our journey together...
I love waking up early in the morning, or staying up really late to watch her play - I don't mind that the circuit is long and the time zones change. Sometimes I enjoy the game, some others I get angry and suffer while she struggles. I live her victories and her defeats as if they were my own. But above all that, I love that Maria is a champion and in this book she really shows that. Unstoppable is raw, honest and real. Maria tells us everything, she keeps nothing to herself: her childhood in Sochi, the immigration to America, the long and exhausting hours of training, how she missed her mom, how she got suspended, in short: the ups and downs, the good and also the bad.
What I liked the most is how she described her relationship with her family. I know Maria got were she is because she is driven and has determination, besides loving tennins very much, but her dad deserves a special mention. Yuri sacrificed everything, what he had and what he didn't for her daughter and I'm not sure if every parent would do that for their kid.
Maria is someone who inspires me because she is courageous, driven, strong and above all she is always trying to improve, win and outdo herself. Because I feel the tennis court is a metaphor for life, so even though I don't play tennis she can still inspire me and show me that if you work hard, if you fight for what you want and if you don't give up you can achieve your goals and dreams.
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Allá por el año 2006 mi papá miraba la final US Open. Jamás toque una raqueta en mi vida, tampoco miraba deportes por tv, pero esa noche quise mirar. A papá le gustaba como jugaba Justine Henin, que había ganado muchísimos torneos y una vez más había llegado a una final. Justine se enfrentaba a una rusa alta y rubia con un vestidito negro, era Sharapova. Yo no tenía ni la menor idea de quién era María, pero me encantó su juego, su determinación y su espíritu de campeona. María levantó la copa, ganó el Grand Slam y a partir de ese momento comencé nuestro viaje juntas.
Me encanta levantarme temprano a ver los partidos o quedarme despierta hasta tarde, porque el circuito es largo y los husos horarios cambian, aunque también sufro cuando pierde y cuando no hace las cosas bien. Vivir sus derrotas y triunfos como si fueran propios. Pero sobre todas las cosas me encanta que María es una campeona, y en este libro realmente lo demuestra. Es crudo, duro y real. No se calla nada, cuenta todo —desde su infancia en Sochi, la inmigración a los Estados Unidos, las largas horas de práctica cuando era chica, la suspensión del circuito — los altos y bajos, lo bueno y lo malo. Todo con honestidad y sin nada de filtro.
Lo que más destaco, además de su propia voluntad y amor por lo que hace es el gran sostén que tiene por parte de su familia, en especial Yuri. La verdad es que María tiene un papá que vale oro porque las cosas que hizo ese hombre para que su hija llegue donde tenía que estar son increíbles y no sé si todo el mundo se sacrificaría así.
De María siempre admire su coraje, la fuerza que tiene y sobre todo las ganas de ganar y de superarse a sí misma. Porque siento que la cancha es como una metáfora de la vida, entonces aunque yo no juegue tenis ella siempre me demuestra que si se lucha, las cosas se consiguen y que nunca hay que bajar los brazos.
María se merece todo lo que consiguió y mucho más, porque es una campeona, pero también una leona.
September 20, 2017
Anyone who knows me knows that Maria is my favorite athlete of all time. Naturally, my review and rating for her memoir are going to be biased. I was so intrigued from the very first line of this book. I got to know my idol better; where she came from, how she got to where she is now, what she went through, all the ups and downs of her career. I could see how she inspired me before (even more with this book), and I came to understand why she is my favorite athlete; we are very much alike in our personalities, we both like to be the best at whatever we're doing. The writing in this book is definitely not something special, Maria is simply a tennis player/ businesswoman who liked to share her life story in hopes of inspiring others, she doesn't claim to be anything more than that. As a tennis player/ fan, it was amazing to get a "behind the scenes" on how everything in the tennis world works, how all players treat each other, how high the stakes really are. No matter if you love Maria or despise her, she has already achieved a lot in her career to make her name remembered forever.
May 13, 2022
This is Nonfiction/Autobiography. Maria's dad could see in her a drive in playing tennis from a young age. Enough so that he would take her to America and try to get her any and all opportunities to play, learn and win at tennis. I found that type of dedication and focus admirable, probably because of the immense sacrifices that had to be made to do all of that.
I appreciated her candor in telling her story about her childhood, her training, her climb, etc. She kept it all about tennis, which is fine but I kept wondering about how she felt about it all. There was little to no emotion mentioned. I wanted to know how she processed the highs and lows.....other than retail therapy. Overall, I liked this one even though I wanted more depth......so 3 stars.
I appreciated her candor in telling her story about her childhood, her training, her climb, etc. She kept it all about tennis, which is fine but I kept wondering about how she felt about it all. There was little to no emotion mentioned. I wanted to know how she processed the highs and lows.....other than retail therapy. Overall, I liked this one even though I wanted more depth......so 3 stars.
September 4, 2017
It is a while since I read a sports autobiography. From the start I liked this book.
It opens with a frank and controversial prologue. The book then moves on to chart the time before her birth in Belarus and her early years in Siberia, then Sochi. The account then moves on to her first experience of tennis in Sochi aged four or five.
I felt that the way this book is written very much echoes the cool, serious and driven image which I have of Maria Sharapova, having watched her play tennis for many years.
I thought that the sections about her and her father's experiences during the early days years in the in the USA, were at times moving and very sad. They chart many of the difficulties which they had: Their life in a completely different culture to that which they were used to in Russia. It must have been very difficult for her to adjust to her family living apart.
The book goes on to chart many of the landmark steps in her career. I found the sections about coaching, sponsorship and the sometimes difficult relationships between the players on the circuit to be very illuminating.
I'm not sure whether this book makes me think any differently about Sharapova as a tennis player. However I feel that it gives an frank insight into the world of the amateur and professional tennis world.
I give my thanks to Netgalley and Penguin UK for the chance to read this book in exchange for this review.
It opens with a frank and controversial prologue. The book then moves on to chart the time before her birth in Belarus and her early years in Siberia, then Sochi. The account then moves on to her first experience of tennis in Sochi aged four or five.
I felt that the way this book is written very much echoes the cool, serious and driven image which I have of Maria Sharapova, having watched her play tennis for many years.
I thought that the sections about her and her father's experiences during the early days years in the in the USA, were at times moving and very sad. They chart many of the difficulties which they had: Their life in a completely different culture to that which they were used to in Russia. It must have been very difficult for her to adjust to her family living apart.
The book goes on to chart many of the landmark steps in her career. I found the sections about coaching, sponsorship and the sometimes difficult relationships between the players on the circuit to be very illuminating.
I'm not sure whether this book makes me think any differently about Sharapova as a tennis player. However I feel that it gives an frank insight into the world of the amateur and professional tennis world.
I give my thanks to Netgalley and Penguin UK for the chance to read this book in exchange for this review.
October 29, 2017
Easy, nice read. I’ve been a fan of her game for a long time so it was interesting looking at a little behind the scenes., especially her childhood. Recommended for fans of hers... she is a little cocky at points (but what elite athlete isn’t?)
August 11, 2022
In 2004, when I was a school kid, I had a habit of going through the column “Thoughts and Quotes” in one of my country’s leading English newspapers. One day I saw a quote from Maria Sharapova in the column. Already interested in tennis (thanks to a Federer’s picture in the newspaper where he’s posing to serve in the Swiss alps after his 2003 Wimbledon win) and aware of Sharapova, the appearance of quote piqued my interest in her story.
In those days, when the internet was barely heard of in my region, it was difficult to find any extra material on a subject easily. So, I kept a lookout for her mentions in the Sports section of the newspaper and even went through the old copies in my school library to get anything on her.
In a few months or a year or so, I had gathered that she was from a small town Nyagan in Russia, had flown to America with her father, leaving behind her mother, at a very young age, and had a tough life. This all was quite inspiring; so, in the following years I continued to hope for her victories. Then during early 2010s, as life happened and her level seemed to dip by several reasons, my interests drifted (although I remained aware of what was happening in the tennis world and around her, thanks to the internet) until a few months ago I came to know that she has written an autobiography.
Around 18 years ago, I had spent plenty of time in stitching her biography through newspaper articles; so, I thought to myself, why not?
So, last week I finally picked the book but in the Preface itself did not like the writing, which felt a bit superficial and self-obsessed. But then she is a tennis pro, not a writer, so, one can ignore such errs in her writing. But then again, she had a co-author, who seems like a full-time writer, so should have at least corrected her overuse of the phrase “In other words”, her writing of the same sentences multiple times in the course of a single or few pages, and her conflicting opinions (which is not a crime to have but should not appear in writing).
I tried to turn a blind eye to the writing and engross myself to the story alone, which, needless to say, is inspiring and adventurous, but her continuous use of the phrase “that’s why I was so hard to beat”, no respect to story’s timeline (at one point she was 11-12 and then suddenly she was 8-9), leaving out key moments without a mention (she tried to build up to the moment when she was finally reunited with her mother, but then at some point mentioned that she was already there, and then a few chapters later mentions only a single sentence that her mother’s trouble in getting the visa was resolved) continued to put me off.
All this, Mr. Co-author did not bother to fix.
All in all, till the part where she got signed up with IMG was still readable. After that story picked up pace, and she would jumped directly to the Grand Slams that she won, without much taking readers through other key moments in other Grand Slams, while the story is moving at a different pace in a different time.
Often, she’d write explaining an incident that “it depends on whom you ask…” and would put down two opinions along the same lines or slightly deviated lines as contrasting opinions. She’d discard other players’ pursuit to win several grand slams and building a legacy of their own as bullshit and would say that she needs to pave the path for the coming generation.
About the two chapters on her two relationships, again, she did not bother about the timeline of the story and just plugged these chapters anywhere in-between. For example, relationship with Sasha ended after the 2014 Roland Garros finals, but she would prepare for and win the tournament after 3-4 chapters. Plus (I might be horribly wrong here), Sasha’s getting angry for not mentioning his name and not being happy for her achievement was wrong, yes, absolutely, but a breakup ultimatum, I don’t know. And then with Grigor, I honestly did not understand her take on the respect towards each other’s career in his context. And then about her coach’s text “Can you believe Nike did that to her?”, I am not so sure how it was a mean text behind her back.
I wish she had introduced and described some other events and characters like she had described the Wimbledon village and her father. I wish the title of the book was a little less arrogant. She is what is, but I wish she had been a little less resentful, a bit more neutrally observant and respectful towards other players' drives and how they carry themselves (for example, exchanging pleasantry at the nets, sometimes genuine respect is there, if not often then seldom). I wish she had acknowledged the development in the men’s tennis around the same time (at least as an inspiration) instead of mentioning Federer, Murray, and Djokovic only once, and that to in the context of her boyfriend’s defeat in a major’s semifinals. And no mention of Nadal at all. Nadal who?
I hate to say it, but after reading the book, after knowing her opinions and attitude towards stuff and other people, my admiration and respect for her has diminished a little. Like they say, “Ignorance is bliss”.
In those days, when the internet was barely heard of in my region, it was difficult to find any extra material on a subject easily. So, I kept a lookout for her mentions in the Sports section of the newspaper and even went through the old copies in my school library to get anything on her.
In a few months or a year or so, I had gathered that she was from a small town Nyagan in Russia, had flown to America with her father, leaving behind her mother, at a very young age, and had a tough life. This all was quite inspiring; so, in the following years I continued to hope for her victories. Then during early 2010s, as life happened and her level seemed to dip by several reasons, my interests drifted (although I remained aware of what was happening in the tennis world and around her, thanks to the internet) until a few months ago I came to know that she has written an autobiography.
Around 18 years ago, I had spent plenty of time in stitching her biography through newspaper articles; so, I thought to myself, why not?
So, last week I finally picked the book but in the Preface itself did not like the writing, which felt a bit superficial and self-obsessed. But then she is a tennis pro, not a writer, so, one can ignore such errs in her writing. But then again, she had a co-author, who seems like a full-time writer, so should have at least corrected her overuse of the phrase “In other words”, her writing of the same sentences multiple times in the course of a single or few pages, and her conflicting opinions (which is not a crime to have but should not appear in writing).
I tried to turn a blind eye to the writing and engross myself to the story alone, which, needless to say, is inspiring and adventurous, but her continuous use of the phrase “that’s why I was so hard to beat”, no respect to story’s timeline (at one point she was 11-12 and then suddenly she was 8-9), leaving out key moments without a mention (she tried to build up to the moment when she was finally reunited with her mother, but then at some point mentioned that she was already there, and then a few chapters later mentions only a single sentence that her mother’s trouble in getting the visa was resolved) continued to put me off.
All this, Mr. Co-author did not bother to fix.
All in all, till the part where she got signed up with IMG was still readable. After that story picked up pace, and she would jumped directly to the Grand Slams that she won, without much taking readers through other key moments in other Grand Slams, while the story is moving at a different pace in a different time.
Often, she’d write explaining an incident that “it depends on whom you ask…” and would put down two opinions along the same lines or slightly deviated lines as contrasting opinions. She’d discard other players’ pursuit to win several grand slams and building a legacy of their own as bullshit and would say that she needs to pave the path for the coming generation.
About the two chapters on her two relationships, again, she did not bother about the timeline of the story and just plugged these chapters anywhere in-between. For example, relationship with Sasha ended after the 2014 Roland Garros finals, but she would prepare for and win the tournament after 3-4 chapters. Plus (I might be horribly wrong here), Sasha’s getting angry for not mentioning his name and not being happy for her achievement was wrong, yes, absolutely, but a breakup ultimatum, I don’t know. And then with Grigor, I honestly did not understand her take on the respect towards each other’s career in his context. And then about her coach’s text “Can you believe Nike did that to her?”, I am not so sure how it was a mean text behind her back.
I wish she had introduced and described some other events and characters like she had described the Wimbledon village and her father. I wish the title of the book was a little less arrogant. She is what is, but I wish she had been a little less resentful, a bit more neutrally observant and respectful towards other players' drives and how they carry themselves (for example, exchanging pleasantry at the nets, sometimes genuine respect is there, if not often then seldom). I wish she had acknowledged the development in the men’s tennis around the same time (at least as an inspiration) instead of mentioning Federer, Murray, and Djokovic only once, and that to in the context of her boyfriend’s defeat in a major’s semifinals. And no mention of Nadal at all. Nadal who?
I hate to say it, but after reading the book, after knowing her opinions and attitude towards stuff and other people, my admiration and respect for her has diminished a little. Like they say, “Ignorance is bliss”.
February 20, 2022
I was riveted for the first 100 pages or so of this book... Sharapova's journey (and struggle) to get settled in The States, through age 11 when she inked her first deal. The second portion of the book covers her professional journey which may only appeal to tennis fans. But certainly an interesting career, I was, and still am, a fan!
September 11, 2017
A well-written biography of Maria Sharapova, full of emotion and truth about her life and career evolution. I didn't know much about her, nor the particularities of tennis as a professional sport. She has honestly wrote down a detailed account of her most important challenges, matches, hopes and fears. I learned a lot about her style and determination to win it all, about this strong mentality of a champion. It's amazing how many hours and years it takes to become the dream.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this arc.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this arc.
September 8, 2017
I've always been a tennis fan, and had always enjoyed watching Maria Sharapova play. When she was banned from the game for taking a banned substance I was shocked. So when I was given the chance to read her story I jumped at the chance,
This is a well written account of her life so far, it is at times very compelling and moving. Her move to the USA from Russia as a young child accompanied only by her father, and then not seeing her mother for some years cannot have been easy. But this is a girl who's tough and competitive so she basically got on with it. She covers lots in this, her rivalry with Serena Williams, her family life her romances, but most of all her tennis. I was a little disappointed how she covers her ban from tennis. She sort of implies that she was set up, as the drug she was taking was already on the authorities monitoring list throughout 2015 so they knew then she was taking it, but said nothing. She also states that there are many drugs that are banned, but players don't have time to troll through lists. Players of her standing and wealth surely have a team around them who's job it is to do all those things and more, leaving the player to concentrate on their game. But her attitude that it was everybody else's fault but hers grated on me. All in all I enjoyed reading this. It's just a shame her career will be overshadowed by what happened.
I received an ARC via the publisher and NetGalley
This is a well written account of her life so far, it is at times very compelling and moving. Her move to the USA from Russia as a young child accompanied only by her father, and then not seeing her mother for some years cannot have been easy. But this is a girl who's tough and competitive so she basically got on with it. She covers lots in this, her rivalry with Serena Williams, her family life her romances, but most of all her tennis. I was a little disappointed how she covers her ban from tennis. She sort of implies that she was set up, as the drug she was taking was already on the authorities monitoring list throughout 2015 so they knew then she was taking it, but said nothing. She also states that there are many drugs that are banned, but players don't have time to troll through lists. Players of her standing and wealth surely have a team around them who's job it is to do all those things and more, leaving the player to concentrate on their game. But her attitude that it was everybody else's fault but hers grated on me. All in all I enjoyed reading this. It's just a shame her career will be overshadowed by what happened.
I received an ARC via the publisher and NetGalley
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