51 Female Athletes Who Can Challenge Models

No. 10: Maria Sharapova (Tennis Player)

Maria Sharapova is a Russian professional tennis player who is currently suspended due to testing positive for banned substances. Since Anna Kournikova left the sport she has basically taken over as the hot blond of pro tennis, although she isn’t the highest ranked tennis player on this list.

Sharapova has been featured in a number of modeling assignments, including a feature in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She appeared in many advertisements, including those for Nike, Prince, and Canon, being the face of several fashion houses, most notably Cole Haan.

According to Forbes, she has been named highest paid female athlete in the world for 11 consecutive years and earned US$285 million including prize money since she turned pro in 2001.

In March 2016, Sharapova revealed she had failed a drug test at the 2016 Australian Open, admitting to testing positive for meld onium, a substance banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) at the start of 2016. On June 8, 2016, she was suspended from playing tennis for two years by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).