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“UNSTOPPABLE”
From Maria Sharapova, one of our fiercest female athletes, the captivating—and candid—story of her rise from nowhere to tennis stardom, and the unending fight to stay on top.
In 2004, in a stunning upset against the two-time defending champion Serena Williams, seventeen-year-old Maria Sharapova won Wimbledon, becoming an overnight sensation. Out of virtual anonymity, she launched herself onto the international stage. “Maria Mania” was born. Sharapova became a name and face recognizable worldwide. Her success would last: she went on to hold the number-one WTA ranking multiple times, to win four more Grand Slam tournaments, and to become one of the highest-grossing female athletes in the world.
And then—at perhaps the peak of her career—Sharapova came up against the toughest challenge yet: during the 2016 Australian Open, she was charged by the ITF with taking the banned substance meldonium, only recently added to the ITF’s list. The resulting suspension would keep her off the professional courts for fifteen months—a frighteningly long time for any athlete. The media suggested it might be fateful.
But Sharapova’s career has always been driven by her determination and by her dedication to hard work. Her story doesn’t begin with the 2004 Wimbledon championship, but years before, in a small Russian town, where as a five-year-old she played on drab neighborhood courts with precocious concentration. It begins when her father, convinced his daughter could be a star, risked everything to get them to Florida, that sacred land of tennis academies. It begins when the two arrived with only seven hundred dollars and knowing only a few words of English. From that, Sharapova scraped together one of the most influential sports careers in history.
Here, for the first time, is the whole story, and in her own words. Sharapova’s is an unforgettable saga of dedication and fortune. She brings us inside her pivotal matches and illuminates the relationships that have shaped her—with coaches, best friends, boyfriends, and Yuri, her coach, manager, father, and most dedicated fan, describing with honesty and affection their oft-scrutinized relationship. She writes frankly about the suspension. As Sharapova returns to the professional circuit, one thing is clear: the ambition to win that drove her from the public courts of Russia to the manicured lawns of Wimbledon has not diminished.
Sharapova’s Unstoppable is a powerful memoir, resonant in its depiction of the will to win—whatever the odds.
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UNSTOPPABLE
My Life So Far
by Maria Sharapova
(Sarah Crichton Books | Farrar, Straus and Giroux;
Sept. 12, 2017; 978-0-374-27979-0; $28.00)
“Professional tennis celebrity Sharapova relates her remarkable immigration saga and writes candidly about her career, family, and personal life . . . For tennis players and fans, the memoir is filled with solid insights about on-the-court strategy and off-the-court psychology. ‘I can get fancy and sweet about it,’ she writes, ‘but at bottom my motivation is simple: I want to beat everyone . . Ribbons and trophies get old, but losing lasts.’ For readers with no interest in tennis, the author delivers an impressive immigration tale, an inspiring coming-of-age narrative, and a host of useful advice on navigating celebrity culture. Sharapova demonstrates consistent dedication and impressive wisdom for her age.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“In this insightful memoir, 30-year-old tennis star Sharapova details her life from her earliest memories to the present day . . . Sharapova’s eloquent self-awareness provides a rare glimpse into the disorienting push and pull of a famous athlete’s life.”
—Publishers Weekly
“The heart of the book tells the story of an immigrant father and his seven-year-old daughter who travel from Russia to the U.S. with little in their pockets but a clear vision: for Maria to become the world’s best tennis player . . . Unstoppable is an inspiring memoir about coming-of-age within the elite tennis community and a tribute to the unconditional support from families and coaches who make success possible. Sure to satisfy longtime fans of women’s tennis.”
—Booklist
Author Events
New York, NY—Sept. 12—signing at Barnes & Noble Fifth Avenue—12:30 pm
New York, NY—Sept. 13—92nd Street Y—in conversation with Katie Couric—7:30 pm
Los Angeles, CA—Sept. 15—signing at Barnes & Noble The Grove at Farmers Market—7:00 pm
