30 Legends of Womens Tennis: Past, Present and Future

Anna Kournikova — the glamorous Muscovite who reached the semifinals at Wimbledon in 1997 — showed Russian tennis players what was possible. But it was Maria Sharapova who confirmed that they could have it all — if they worked really, really hard. She won Wimbledon at 17, went on to take titles at the U.S. Open and Australian Open and earned the No. 1 ranking on four occasions. Ferociously determined, her credibility as an athlete forms the basis of her huge commercial success. According to Forbes, Sharapova, now 24 years old, pocketed $24.5 million in 2010 — more than any other female athlete. In January 2010, Nike extended its sponsorship deal with Sharapova for eight more years, for a total of $70 million — the most lucrative deal ever for a sportswoman. She’s no longer the wide-eyed teen who won Wimbledon in 2004 — and that would make a victory in 2011 even more significant. As she says, “my win at Wimbledon at age 17 was something very special for me and my family. But if I were to win Wimbledon for a second time after coming back from a very tough shoulder surgery, that would have to be my greatest win.”

See Maria Sharapova’s favorite travel tips.

• Wimbledon Women

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