Then there is Sharapova. Whereas Kournikova is considered a lightweight in the realm of women’s tennis, Sharapova could eventually go down as one of her sport’s greatest players. She’s only 19 (she turns 20 on April 19^th) and already she’s won two majors. That in itself isn’t amazing — Tracy Austin was the youngest-ever winner of the U.S. Open in 1979 at the age of 16 years, nine months, she won it again two years later, then never won another major — but when viewed in the context of her passion for winning, it bodes well for the 6-foot-2 Sharapova.

“She’s handling it all very well,” Collins said. “That’s really amazing for a 19-year-old who is the focal point of the women’s game right now.

“She’s working harder. She has photo shoots and all those types of things. But she’s handling it all well.”

Max Eisenbud is an agent at the sports marketing colossus IMG. He has been overseeing Sharapova’s career since she was 11. He was originally assigned to visit her at the agency’s academy in Florida, where she was among 10 of IMG’s top tennis prospects at the time.

“Have you ever seen the old videos of a young Tiger Woods hitting golf balls? It was obvious,” Eisenbud said. “She just had so much talent and determination and work ethic. She was very special.”

IMG naturally wanted to make Maria Sharapova the same kind of marketing phenomenon that Tiger Woods is in the world of golf. And to a large extent it has succeeded: She is the highest-paid female athlete in the world. Last year Forbes Magazine and CBS both estimated her annual earnings as close to $20 million, with the overwhelming majority of that coming from endorsements.

But whereas Kournikova took deals as they became available to her, IMG took a more thoughtful and methodical approach with Sharapova’s career. Eisenbud and his colleagues formed relationships with companies such as Motorola, Land Rover, Nike, Canon and Gatorade before Sharapova’s breakthrough victory at Wimbledon in 2004. Once she had that singles crown, IMG followed up with those relationships and secured deals.

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Even today, Sharapova limits her marketing work to only about a dozen days a year and won’t do anything in that area within four weeks of a tournament. Tennis has remained the priority, even though tournament checks represent only a small portion of her income.

But that’s not to say it’s all work and no play. Last year she appeared in a bikini for a photo spread in Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue. The year before she was listed among People Magazine’s 50 most beautiful celebrities.

Yet it’s her desire to play tennis that prevents her from becoming “another Kournikova.”

“She’s proven herself,” DeGaris said. “She has appeal beyond tennis, but she has long-term potential within the tennis world.

“I think Sharapova so far has demonstrated that she’s got the right attitude. She’s fierce, she wants to win and demonstrates a passion for the sport. She’s out there playing in all the tournaments. That translates to fans. Being six feet tall and blond and gorgeous translates to celebrity, but that’s fleeting.”

Collins summed up the difference between Kournikova and Sharapova.

“I don’t know how much desire Kournikova had,” he said. “Certainly Maria has it. She wants to be the best and she is the best.”