Sharapova is set to net millions of pounds in advertising after her Wimbledon win made her one of the most bankable stars of the sports world.

The 17-year-old star number one seed Serena Williams on Centre Court 6-1 6-4 on Saturday and become the first Russian to win the title.

Steve Martin, sports marketing expert for M&C Saatchi, said: "It is not at all unrealistic to expect this girl to earn £100m plus.

"She could become a global icon. Everyone will want to know what she likes and how she lives.

"She could become one of the few sports people to transcend their sport - David Beckham is the most famous example of that."

But the fame and fortune is all a long way from her humble beginnings.

Her parents moved away from Gomel in Belarus just before she was born to escape the radiation caused by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, to Siberia where her father worked in the oilfields.

She began playing tennis at the age of four with a sawn-off racquet, hitting balls against the side of her house, before she was spotted by the Wimbledon legend Martina Navratilova at the age of six.

Determined her talent should be given the chance to flourish, Sharapova's father took her to the United States when she was aged just seven.