Her shoulder needed surgery in October 2008. Sharapova was away from the sport for ten months until May 2009, which caused her ranking to drop out of the top 100. Since returning, Sharapova's ranking has recovered to within the top 15.

In November 2000, 13-year-old Maria exploded onto the world tennis stage with an impressive win in the Girls' 16-and-under Eddie Herr Championships.