Maria Sharapova "faces the biggest challenge of her tennis career -- namely her return to the sport after a 15-month drugs ban" -- and it is "not just her continued sporting success that is in the spotlight," according to Bill Wilson of the BBC. Off the court, where she makes "the bulk of her earnings," the question is: Can she be "as big a sponsor draw as she was before her enforced absence?" In the year from June '15, Forbes estimated the five-time Grand Slam winner made $1.9M in prize money from playing, but $20M from endorsements, a sum "matched only" by Serena Williams. It is "this primary source of earnings that Sharapova will be looking to reinvigorate." University of Salford sports business professor Simon Chadwick said, "During her time out there will have been some continued relationship with her sponsors. But I am sure there will have been some sort of penalty clause in her sponsor contracts for incurring a suspension." Sharapova was initially banned for two years. As it was, "the sponsor reaction was mixed" -- Head and Evian were "immediately supportive," Nike and Porsche "put their relationships on hold but later came back on board," while Tag Heuer and Avon "chose not to extend deals that had ended." European Sponsorship Association Chair Karen Earl said, "In terms of brands and reputation, what all this has highlighted is that first of all, Sharapova is a major brand in her own right. She commands a lot of media attention, as the furor about her comeback demonstrates. It also highlights that she is a huge star, and that women's tennis feels it needs her" (BBC, 4/23).
