Glamor girl Maria Sharapova's meteoric rise to world number one is inspiring a new generation of Russian teenage girls to head for the courts hoping to emulate her sporting and financial success.
"The phone has been ringing around the clock for registrations since mid-August," says Igor Volkov, a coach at Moscow's famous Spartak tennis academy.
The academy now has 190 places compared to around 30 in 1994, but, since Sharapova became the first Russian woman to top the WTA world rankings last month, they've had to turn eager teenagers away.
PHOTO: AFP
"I would like to become as good as her and earn as much money as her," said 15-year-old Yuliya Livotova.
Sharapova, the blonde tennis star with the top model looks, won Wimbledon last year aged just 17. Since then her advertising contracts have netted her over US$18 million and by many accounts she has become the biggest earner in women's sport.
Sharapova, who was born in Siberia but has been living in Florida since she was eight, is not the first Russian player to popularize tennis.
Former Russian president and tennis enthusiast Boris Yeltsin restored the image of a sport once considered too bourgeois by the country's Communist leaders.
Anna Kournikova, another blonde tennis star with spectacular looks, then added the glamor.
Russia now leads women's tennis, with seven players in the top 20 global rankings compared to just three to long-time top-dogs the US.
More success came their way last weekend when a team inspired by Elena Dementieva successfully defended the FedCup defeating France 3-2 in the final in Paris
"The reason we are the best lies in the Russian character, we are more resilient," Volkov said.
Coaches at the Spartak academy, where the buildings have seen better days and the fences are left to rust, earn just US$200 a month.
Many promising teenagers leave for Europe and the US to look for better facilities.
"It's a pity the [Russian tennis] federation does nothing against this," said Kournikova's former coach, Larisa Preobrazhenskaya, 78, who fears Russian tennis will lose momentum.
Russian parents realise the problems but also know the opportunities that tennis offers and are prepared to put everything into developing their children's careers.
"At first, we had to force our grandson a bit -- it's an investment," Tamara Chikina said.
She wants to spare the boy "the fate of Russia's young people, who drink too much beer and swear in the streets."
The Kansas City Chiefs wrapped up a brief visit to Brazil on Friday with a season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, but despite the defeat, the team outshone their divisional rivals in the fight for the hearts and minds of Brazilian fans. In Sao Paulo for just the second-ever NFL game in the city, Chiefs players — especially quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce — were treated as major celebrities throughout their stay, turning Corinthians Arena into a scene reminiscent of the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium. Before kickoff, crowds of fans gathered around the Chiefs’ tunnel, eager to catch a
New Zealand stayed firm at their Eden Park fortress to claim an attritional 24-17 win over South Africa in a heavyweight clash between the world’s top two rugby sides yesterday. Under pressure after conceding a first-ever defeat on Argentine soil against the Pumas two weeks ago, the All Blacks responded with a performance of grit and discipline to stretch their unbeaten run at their Auckland stronghold to 51 matches. Two well-taken tries by Emoni Narawa and Will Jordan set up a 14-3 lead at halftime before Quinn Tupaea grabbed a third five-pointer for the hosts 13 minutes from time. Well-held for most of
Mikel Merino on Sunday scored a hat-trick as a majestic Spain thumped Turkey 6-0 away in World Cup qualifying, while a brilliant Florian Wirtz free-kick helped Germany beat Northern Ireland 3-1 to get their bid up and running. European champions Spain were in unstoppable form in the central Turkish city of Konya, claiming their second biggest-ever away win in World Cup qualifying as Arsenal midfielder Merino scored his first professional hat-trick. Barcelona playmaker Pedri Gonzalez opened the scoring inside six minutes and later completed the scoring, with Ferran Torres netting the visitors’ other goal. The quality of Merino’s strikes was remarkable, with his
The Wallabies trusted their instincts to keep pushing for a late try instead of a potential equalizing penalty goal late in their Rugby Championship Test match yesterday against Argentina, with prop Angus Bell scoring the clinching try in the sixth minute of added time to give Australia a comeback 28-24 win. The Wallabies were awarded three kickable penalties after the 80th minute, but kept pushing in search of the match-winning try, which was finally delivered by an unlikely hero in reserve prop Bell. “It’s just relieving,” Bell said. “It’s just awesome we could get the win in the end; not go for
RSS