Born in Siberia (yes, really), Maria began playing tennis at 4 and moved to the U.S. to attend the legendary Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida, when she was 7. (It was a little later than they’re used to at Bollettieri, but they let her in anyway.) She has lived in the U.S. ever since, but she retains her Russian citizenship (and I-must-break-you demeanor). In 2004, at age 17, Maria became the third-youngest woman ever to win Wimbledon—and the first ever Russian—when she defeated Serena Williams 6-1, 6-4 in the final. In 2006, she won a second Grand Slam title, the U.S. Open. That same year, she signed a lifetime endorsement deal with Prince—the racquet company, not the guy who sang “Little Red Corvette” (although she’s working on it). Other endorsements include: Land Rover, Motorola, Gatorade, Tropicana, Tag Heuer, Nike, Canon and Honda (but only in Japan). In August 2006, CBS reported that her annual earnings top $20 million. An estimated 90 percent of those come from endorsement deals.Looking ahead, you can expect to find Maria clutching more hardware—she’s hungry to accumulate more Grand Slam wins—and probably posing for another photographer or two. In 2006, she appeared in a bikini for a six-page photo shoot in Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue. We wouldn’t mind seeing her return that service.
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