Sharapova makes history as the face of Wimbledon

A year ago, Maria Sharapova was a virtual unknown. Today she is the face of Wimbledon.

Tennis talent, fierce determination and the looks of a catwalk model have turned Sharapova into a multi-millionaire in just 12 months.

The willowy Russian has outstripped the earning power of Serena Williams and now takes home an estimated $22.5 million from the brands she promotes.

Only Andre Agassi tops her income among players in Tennis magazine's endorsements league.

Now the elegant teenager with the deadly groundstrokes has made Wimbledon history - she is the first champion to have her image on every Wimbledon-branded tennis racket and sports bag.

For Wimbledon, it was a stroke of good luck. The All England Club has a deal with Prince rackets which in turn sponsor Sharapova.

Marketing Wimbledon-branded goods around the world is now a $60 million dollar business.

Sharapova, who astounded tennis pundits when she won Wimbledon at the age of 17, is the first to admit: "Yes, I am an athlete but I am also a businesswoman."

Kournikova contrast

It was the other way around for her compatriot Anna Kournikova whose looks made her a fortune while her tennis failed to flourish.

Sharapova has a string of blue chip sponsors - Colgate-Palmolive, Nike, Microsoft and Honda to name but a few.

She even landed a deal with Motorola after failing to get through to her mother on her mobile phone after the Wimbledon Centre Court triumph over Serena Williams last year.

Sharapova is launching her own perfume and TAG Heuer are bringing out a limited edition diamond "Maria Sharapova" watch.

But what about the corporate affairs hitting her tennis? After she was trounced 6-0 6-0 by Lindsay Davenport in March at Indian Wells in the United States, her coach Robert Lansdorp said: "She is not physically strong enough to maintain the schedule that has been set for her."

But Sharapova always insists she can handle the globe-trotting tennis circuit alongside the corporate whirl.

Reflecting on an unreal 12 months as she returned to Wimbledon, she said: "It's like I'm coming home."

And after the tournament is over, she can look forward to enjoying her 18th birthday present to herself - a sumptuous new villa in Florida not far from the Nick Bollettieri tennis academy where she first went as a seven-year-old child.