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.“

If you are a female athlete and you want to get rich, play golf or tennis. Forbes reports that the highest-paid female athletes come almost exclusively from tennis and golf, which offer higher levels of prize money and greater opportunities for endorsement. Here is the list of the top ten highest paid women athletes:

Forbes has released its list of the Top-Earning Athletes of the Beijing Olympics. Roger Federer ranks at 4, whereas Maria Sharapova is No. 7.

Roger Federer

Estimated annual income: $35 million

Federer has racked up 12 Grand Slam titles and some $40 million in prize money alone since hitting the pro tour eight years ago. He has a 10-year deal with Nike, signed in 2007, is one of the longest commitments the company has ever done. Federer has also had his own cologne line since 2003. It’s still possible his tournament schedule could preclude his playing in Beijing.

Maria Sharapova

Estimated annual income: $26 million

There’s nothing like the combination of talent and sex appeal to turn yourself into a sports marketing juggernaut. Sharapova’s endorsement portfolio includes Sony, Pepsi, Colgate-Palmolive, Nike and Motorola.

Sports Business Journal is reporting that Nike is about to sign Roger Federer to a 10-year extension of its contract that “could be worth as much as $13 million a year.”

Rene Stauffer, the author of the book The Roger Federer Story, Quest for Perfection (click to purchase) also reports in Swiss Tages-Anzeiger newspaper that Federer’s potential deal would be more than what Nike paid Andre Agassi.

According to SBJ “sources close to the deal differed on whether that money was fully guaranteed or in part depended on how well tennis’ top male player performs on the court. If the contract indeed reaches that amount ($13 million a year), the deal would make Federer one of the top-paid endorsers at Nike in any sport.”

Just for comparison, basketball’s LeBron James has a seven-year, $90 million deal and is one of Nike’s top athlete contracts. Read more »

When it comes to sponsorship and mega-million dollar endorsements, many talented athletes who see only prize money in their professional career, think “it is not fair.” But tennis, first and foremost, is business.

Marketers’ joy as Ivanovic, Sharapova face off

THE Australian Open has its dream final, a “glam slam” decider tomorrow between Russian temptress Maria Sharapova and Serbian siren Ana Ivanovic.

The two most photogenic stars in grand slam tennis will square off at Melbourne Park in a confrontation which has left fans and television executives drooling. Seven spokesman Simon Francis last night declared: “We are over the moon. Ana versus Maria is the stuff of dreams.

“Sometimes in sports television you hit the bullseye. We’ve hit it. Read more »

So Maria Sharapova wasn’t exaggerating when she was saying that she never changes her tennis schedule to accommodate her sponsors’ needs. Tennis comes first, and her sponsors try to work around her tennis schedule. Canon USA has announced that they are extending their contract with Maria Sharapova through 2010. What I found interesting in the press release below, is that in the past, Canon has hired Maria Sharapova ‘look-alikes’ to interact with consumers, while she focused her efforts on the court. Amazing. Devote a couple of days in a year for shooting the commercials, earn millions of dollars, and let the “lookalikes” do the job. Perfect arrangement, if you ask me.

Several days ago Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications has announced that it has signed an exclusive four year sponsorship agreement with Sharapova.

While Masha’s sponsors are busy sending out press releases, the Golden Girl has a business to take care of. She is facing the Comeback Mum Lindsay Davenport on Wednesday in the highlight of the third day’s action at the Australian Open.

Press Release Read more »

Melbourne, Australia – 14th January 2008 – Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications has announced today that it has signed an exclusive four year sponsorship agreement with female tennis player, Maria Sharapova, to become the company’s first global brand ambassador.

The stunning and talented Russian, who turns 21 in April this year, will undertake a series of innovative new consumer brand campaigns specifically designed to engage Sony Ericsson’s core target audiences and to utilise Maria away from the tennis court. Read more »

20-year-old Serbian Ana Ivanovic (aka Golden Girl #2) has signed potentially the biggest racquet endorsement deal in the history of tennis. According to CNBC sources “it’s a four-year deal that could hit eight figures if Ivanovic is ranked No. 1 for about half the deal.” Ivanovic begins the season ranked fourth in the world but will rise to a career-high ranking of No.3 on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour when the new rankings come out on Monday.

Ivanovic, who has endorsement deals with Adidas, Juice Plus and Verona Motors, is expected to be the new face of Yonex, being that she is the brand’s highest ranked player. Yonex is also No 10-ranked David Nalbandian’s clothing and racquet sponsor. Ana’s Adidas contract is also believed to be one of the most lucrative since Steffi Graf’s retirement.

This is a great news. I get really excited when female athletes sign major endorsement deals. I am sure Ana’s on and off court success inspires thousands of young girls around the world, especially in developing countries, to pick up rackets and start working hard towards their goals. Wonder who is Golden Girl No 1?

(Photo: Manuela Davies/anaivanovic.com)

(Via Women’s Tennis Blog) Jelena Jankovic has launched a new website. Some sections are still under construction. You can compare it with her old site. What I find a little bit strange is that she chose such a long address: www.jj-jelenajankovic.com/. I wonder if she doesn’t own www.jelenajankovic.com (which returns no results)? If that’s the case, the recent rulings in the past couple of years relating to famous people’s rights to their domain names show that she can get it back with some legal help. If she wants to, of course.

Indian tennis star Sania Mirza was signed by world’s leading sports brand Addidas as its global brand ambassador. This doesn’t come as a surprise to me. You don’t have to be a marketing genius to understand that any tennis player from India or China that finds himself or herself in the top 100 needs to awarded by huge endorsement deals. Why? Just look at these numbers. India has more than 1.12 billion people, which is more than any other country in the world except of course China. It is the seventh largest sized country in the world in amount of land. Read more »