Maria Sharapova is known to be the highest-paid female athlete in the world, but there is more to this Russian star than her lofty endorsements. She has the ability to strike the ball cleanly from both sides of the court and her athleticism is nonpareil. And as the current 4^th best player on tour, she is one of the favorites to win Wimbledon this year, the prestigious tournament which she once held as a 17-year old, beating a relentless Serena Williams in the 2004 final.

Like Us on Facebook

The biggest question 11 years later is, can she win it again?

Sharapova's ability to be a powerhouse on court is undeniable. She reached the finals of the Australian Open this year and bagged two titles in Brisbane and Rome. There were a few slips such as her 4th round exit at Indian Wells or losing to eventual finalist Lucie Safarova at The French Open. But she saw the latter as an advantage to her Wimbledon preparation.

"I think it's great. I think it's nice to have a little extra time," Sharapova said following her exit at Roland Garros as reported by WTA Tennis. "With hard work, I know what I can do, and how I will feel. That's the most important thing, just to get healthy, to give myself a chance to prepare, and whether that means a warm-up tournament, or just getting extra days on the grass or training physically on it, then that's what it will end up being."

Sharapova's 41-11 win-loss record at Wimbledon is another indication of her prowess on the grass court. If there's one deterrent according to Livetennis.com, it's the possibility of facing Williams in the early rounds of the draw. Yet, things could turn around and put the Russian on the bottom half of the draw where she could face defending champion Petra Kvitova whom she has beaten on several occasions.

If Sharapova builds up her confidence in the early rounds, she has a big chance of hoisting the plate once again. She knows how to win as a former champion, but being the competitor she is, she hardly looks back on victories and focuses instead on what's ahead.

"It really jump started my career from a very young age," Sharapova said of her 2004 win. "But I don't look back to that very often, because I treat every year and every tournament as a fresh new start. I try to make it a new beginning rather than looking at what happened years ago."

Tagsmaria sharapova wimbledon, sharapova at wimbledon, serena williams, petra kvitova wimbledon, wimbledon predictions