For Maria Sharapova, 2006 was a very special year in her successful career: with four tournament wins already under her belt, including the US Open, she put the cherry on the cake with another title in Linz - and she was only 19 years old!

Sharapova caused a real „Maria Mania“ in Upper Austria. Thanks to „Masha“, Linz was the centre of the tennis world for a week. She dominated the competition almost at will, winning all her matches without dropping a set and dethroning defending champion Nadja Petrova in the final.

The term „world star“ was invented for players like Sharapova. After all, the former world number one belongs to the select circle of players who have won all Grand Slam tournaments at least once. After her victory in Linz, Sharapova went on to win a further 21 WTA titles in her career. However, her career was also characterised by numerous injuries. A shoulder operation meant that she had to cancel her planned comeback in Linz in 2019. But what happened afterwards is anything but a matter of course. Despite her injury, Sharapova still made the effort to come to Upper Austria and show herself to the fans, even if she was unable to pick up a racket.

A world star in Linz very close to the fans!