Maria Sharapova Studies Name Change To Plug Candy Line At U.S. Open

The world's richest female athlete, Maria Sharapova, is planning "the most audacious move of her career -- changing her surname to Sugarpova for the two-week duration of the US Open, in honour of her line of sweets," according to  Neil Harman of the LONDON TIMES. Sharapova is looking into a "quickie" name-change through the Supreme Court of Florida, where she has a base, and "would revert to Sharapova after the tournament." The "striking emblem of Sugarpova candy, a pair of red lips, will feature somewhere on her attire during the event." It is "an extraordinary ruse by Sharapova and IMG, her management company, and there are no legal barriers to stop her." Sugarpova is a candy company started by the athlete with "an estimated $500,000 of her own money." And even if the court agrees, Sharapova "may still need the permission of the grand slam committee" (LONDON TIMES, 8/20).