Maria Sharapova was one of the most recognisable sports stars in the world during her legendary tennis career - but has undergone somewhat of a transformation since she hung up her racket.

The Russian first left her mark on the sport in 2004 when she pulled off a surprise victory over Lindsay Davenport in the Wimbledon final aged just 17. It provided the platform for her to enjoy a storied career which included two French Open titles in 2012 and 2014, a US Open title in 2006 and an Australian Open triumph in 2008.

Despite not being a favourite in the latter, Sharapova defeated former world No. 1 Davenport in the second round and then-world No. 1 Justine Henin in the quarter-finals to end the Belgian’s 32-match win streak. After toppling Jelena Jankovic in the semis, she stormed past Ana Ivanovic in a match dubbed the ‘Glam Slam’ final, sealing her third Grand Slam and her first title at Melbourne Park without dropping a single set.

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But it wasn't just on the court where she won awards and honours. In 2006, Maxim ranked the 6ft 2in star 'the hottest athlete in the world' for four straight years. In the same year, she posed in a bikini photoshoot spread in the 2006 Valentine's Day issue of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

Yet those who watched her compete in her prime would now have to look twice at her most recent Instagram pictures before being able to identify her. Sharapova retired five years ago after the 2020 Australian Open - and she looks remarkably different from her last on-court appearance.

The 37-year-old has said farewell to her iconic blonde look and now sports much darker hair. She regularly poses for snaps at various fashion events, such as Paris Fashion Week and the British Fashion Awards, looking completely different to her tennis playing days.

Sharapova has successfully gone into business since walking away from the sport. In 2023, she became a member of the Board of Directors for fashion brand Moncler. Her numerous other ventures include acting as an advisor to brands like Naked Retail and Bright.

Sharapova, who boasts 4.6million Instagram followers, is now also a mother, with baby son Theodore born in July 2022. Now based in Florida, she was once considered one of the most marketable sportspeople in the world, winning £31million in career prize money and earning more than £230m in sponsorship and endorsements.

However, the Australian Open once again proved to be a memorable occasion for the wrong reasons in January 2016, as she was handed a 15-month ban for failing a drugs test for the banned substance meldonium.

She took full responsibility for the saga, but claimed she innocuously took the substance as medicine without knowing that WADA rules had changed. Sharapova returned to the WTA Tour over a year later, though she was unable to add to her Grand Slam tally of five.

She has since made a sporting comeback of some note, playing in John McEnroe's Pickleball tournament last February. She and McEnroe were defeated by Stefanie Graf and Andre Agassi at Pickleball Slam 2, losing out on the million dollar prize.

The Australian Open, meanwhile, is heating up with the remainder of the women’s quarter-finals being played this Wednesday. Paula Badosa and Aryna Sabalenka have already booked their places in Thursday’s semi-finals at the Rod Laver Arena.