Maria Sharapova from her hotel in Australia, less than 24 hours after
she has won her 34th career title at the Brisbane International. “It’s always
nice to start off the year with a win,” she says casually, recognizing that
this is the first of many tournaments she must win this year to maintain her
number one position.
In addition, The Australian Open
that once again pitted the tennis star against her longtime rival, Serena
Williams, which ultimately saw Maria Sharapova losing the title to
Serena in a close match that had the world on edge.
At 33, Williams is six years
older than the 27-year old Sharapova. The two have been neck and neck, with
Williams often getting the edge. “Even though she’s 33 years old, she’s still
very strong and powerful and has so much experience—that shows when she plays
on court,” she states.
Sharapova has a second career
that is every bit as lucrative as tennis: leveraging her titles and leggy
blonde good looks for serious endorsements. These deals have given her one
title she’s maintained for 10 years running: the world’s highest paid female
athlete with $29 million in earnings, $23 million of which come from
endorsements. She has so many it can be difficult to keep track.
Canon tapped her for its
PowerShot advertisements. She is the brand ambassador for Porsche and the face
of Avon’s fragrance “Luck” and “La Vie.” There have been special edition
products at TAG Heuer and Tiffany that have born her name, and she has produced
clothing collections with Nike and Cole Haan.
All these happened because in
Sochi, her father gave a young Maria her first racquet at age four, and got her
practicing every day in the park. It was there she caught the eye of Yuri
Yutkin, a veteran Russian tennis coach who was instantly impressed by her
“exceptional eye-hand coordination.” He urged Sharapova’s father to get her to
Florida. He borrowed funds and moved the family, none of whom spoke English at
the time, to Bradenton, Florida, the heart of professional tennis training.
When she arrived at age 7,
Sharapova trained with Rick Macci while her father took odd jobs to support
them. It would be two years before her mother was able to join the family in
the states, and until she was offered a $35,000 scholarship to IMG, a serious
sports school known for cultivating professional athletes.
After more than a decade in pro
tennis, 34 titles, including 5 Grand Slams, and three shoulder injuries, the
younger Sharapova may not have yet reached her peak.
Meanwhile,
if you are someone who has had to wear
sunscreen every day of your life, just like Sharapova fighting off the sun from
a young age growing up in Florida, California and sunny spots around the world,
than you might want to consider the Cellular Laboratories De-Aging Sunscreen Broad
Spectrum SPF 50+.
It contains multiple sunscreen active ingredients which lessen
the skin’s vulnerability to the sun and protect against the signs of ageing
caused by the sun. Shield yourself from the harsh rays of the sun with
Cellular Laboratories De-Aging Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ that works to
keep your youthful and vibrant appearance intact.
Let’s
keep this gorgeous lady in our radar as she continues to Wow the world of
tennis.