A former US university football player has been charged with threatening Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova. We often hear and see the glamorous side of the celebrities. However, being famous also means you have to deal all kinds of sickos that are out there. ESPN has the story.

Maria Sharapova in Spanish GQ in December. See more photos at Craig Hickman’s tennis blog.

Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova at the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists event at Skylight Studios on Monday, Nov. 17, 2008 in New York. And here is her casual look a day before. (AP)

Life happens when you are not on the court ALL the time. Blogs are reporting that Maria Sharapova dates  Charlie Ebersol, the son of NBC sports chairman Dick Ebersol and actress Susan Saint James. According to New York Daily News, Sharapova joked that “my boyfriend will probably outbid you” before putting herself up for auction at the Bryan Brothers’ All-Star Tennis Smash charity event last weekend. However, one lucky guy won a date with the Russian tennis star - for  $10,000. Charlie first received media attention when he and his father survived a 2004 charter plane crash that took the lives of two crew members and Charlie’s younger brother. Since then, Charlie has become a film producer, collaborating with Ashton Kutcher on the documentary Ithuteng (Never Stop Learning). The film debutes on HBO on Dec. 3.

Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova has announced a scholarship program for the students from the Chernobyl-affected areas of Belarus. The program with the total funding of $210,000 is a joint initiative of the Maria Sharapova Foundation and UN Development Program. The scholarships will be granted to 12 talented Belorussian students, and will cover their education costs for four years. “I’ve always dreamed of making my own contribution to restoring the region I have a personal connection with,” said Maria Sharapova, whose parents lived in Gomel. “Providing young people with an opportunity to get higher education is part of the efforts meant to create a better future for the affected region”.

Tennis stars are making headlines and … money not only on court  but also (read mostly) off court.

•  Maria Sharapova joins Cole Haan Sporting line. (On the Baseline)
• American Sam Querrey signed two deals while at U.S. Open, with Olympus and Zappos.com. Querrey joins fellow tennis player John Isner as the only professional tennis players with endorsement deals with Olympus. (Olympus)
• Russian Anna Chakvetadze reportedly is planning to sign an apparel deal with Fila.  (Sports Business Journal)
• Adidas plans to launch a tennis racket next year and wants Novak Djokovic to be the endorser. (Sports Business Journal)

Russia’s tennis boss Shamil Tarpischev has announced his team  for the upcoming Fed Cup final tie against Spain. Though traditionally Russia has the best selection pool when it comes to Fed Cup, it seems Russia’s captain had to be satisfied with a second-string team. World number 4 Svetlana Kuznetsova will lead the team comprised of world number 10 and Beijing bronze medalist Vera Zvonareva, 56th-ranked Ekaterina Makarova and number 71 Elena Vesnina.

Elena Dementieva, and Dinara Safina are somewhat exhausted after their recent sucesses in Olympics and US Open, Anna Chakvetadze can’t find her form after the horrific robbery attack, and Maria Sharapova is out with a shoulder injury.

“This is the best team we could assemble at the moment. Dementieva and Safina have a real chance to become world number one so we have to give them a break,” Tarpischev said.

Maria Sharapova manages somehow to stay in the spotlight even though she is skipping this year’s US Open due to a shoulder injury. Shape has a story on how the tennis pro stays active off the court.

Want to get Maria’s bling? Enter to win a diamond-studded Canon PowerShot.

Russians dominate.

WTA Top 10 Rankings (August 25, 2008)

1. Ana Ivanovic - Serbia - 3612

2. Jelena Jankovic - Serbia - 3515

3. Serena Williams - United States - 3341

4. Svetlana Kuznetsova - Russia - 3181

5. Maria Sharapova - Russia - 3131

6. Elena Dementieva - Russia - 3070

7. Dinara Safina - Russia - 3047

8. Venus Williams - United States - 2586

9. Anna Chakvetadze - Russia - 2230

10. Vera Zvonareva - Russia - 2117

Marketing Daily reports that Canon readies new Sharapova ad for the US Open debut (even though Maria’s participation in the event is not confirmed yet due to her shoulder injury).

“…The new TV spot for Canon PowerShot, featuring tennis star Maria Sharapova and her dog Dolce, shows fans with Elph cameras approaching the player and asking to take a picture. Unfortunately, the picture they want (to her growing chagrin) is of her dog, Dolce.

The TV spot will break on the first day of the Aug. 25-Sept. 7 tournament and run for its duration on USA Network and CBS. And the tennis star will unveil five diamond-encrusted Canon PowerShot Elph cameras during an invitation-only event at “Canon Center Court” on Aug. 20 at South Street Seaport.“