MARIA SHARAPOVA IN FT MAGAZINE

Maria Sharapova is the best-paid female athlete in the world, with a flair for business that has made her one of tennis’s biggest brands.

Maria Sharapova appears in the hotel lobby in canary yellow shorts and a grey sweater, her face still flushed from an hour-long workout in the gym. “Hi, I’m Maria,” she says, extending a hand. The introduction is polite, but hardly necessary. Sharapova has one of the most recognisable — and marketable — faces in the world. She became an overnight sensation more than a decade ago, as the tall, blonde, preternaturally cool tennis player who won her first Wimbledon title aged only 17. In the years since, she has added another four grand slam titles to her name, becoming one of just 10 female players to win at least once in Melbourne, Paris, Wimbledon and New York — the most coveted titles in tennis.

 Moore: http://www.ft.com/