Pepsi takes Maria to max

Paul Malone

January 04, 2007 11:00pm
Article from: The Courier-Mail



WORLD No.2 Maria Sharapova arrives in Melbourne next week to bid for her first title at an Australian Open, fresh from signing a multi-million dollar deal that consolidated her position as the top earner in tennis.
Multinational drinks company Pepsi announced a deal with Sharapova that advertising industry sources estimated would push her earnings this year towards the $US30 million ($37.95 million) mark.

Sharapova, who is warming up for the January 15 Australian Open at an exhibition in Hong Kong this week, was found by US Forbes magazine to be the second-highest earning tennis player behind Andre Agassi, with endorsements of $US19 million in addition to her prize money of $US3.9 million.

Agassi retired last year and Roger Federer, the third-highest earner in the survey, does not pursue sponsorship millions as keenly as he hunts records on court.

Sharapova, 19, was chosen this week by US sports magazine Sports Illustrated as the best-looking female athlete of 2006. Second place went to US volleyball player Gabrielle Reece.

Sharapova's second Grand Slam title, following her 2004 Wimbledon breakthrough, was a ticket to big incentive payments in many of her existing endorsement contracts.