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Maria SharapovaTennis phenom wins Grand Slam, magazine covers
 Maria Sharapova tells CNN that Wimbledon is her favorite competition. SPECIAL REPORT(CNN) -- Maria Sharapova was a promising 16-year-old phenom in 2003 when TIME magazine picked her as "Who's Next" in tennis. After making it that year to the fourth round in her first appearance at Wimbledon, the 6-foot-tall, attractive, blond Russian was instantly compared to Anna Kournikova. Two years later and the comparisons have stopped; she's surpassed Kournikova. In 2004 Sharapova achieved what many young tennis stars - including Kournikova - continue to strive for. She beat Serena Williams to win Wimbledon. It also was her first Grand Slam win. Sharapova also is successful off the court, making the covers of many magazines (including Forbes), developing a perfume and starring in the "Maria was here" Canon PowerShot commercial campaign. Her well-crafted, well-rounded persona puts her in the company of such successful tennis brand names as Chris Evert and the Williams sisters. Sharapova is ranked No. 1 on the WTA tour. So far this year she has won the Qatar Total Open and the DFS Classic. She has a tennis tour of Japan planned for late December. 
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