Maria Sharapova has no shortage of admirers but she was the one showing some love on Valentine’s Day.
The Russian’s list of titles now includes more than just tournament victories, following her appointment as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador. Sharapova will serve the UN’s Development Program (UNDP), whose mission is “eradicating poverty, putting children in schools, promoting women’s rights, fighting killer diseases, and providing access to safe drinking water” in the world’s poorest countries.
The top-ranked Sharapova, who joins the world’s No. 1 men’s player, Roger Federer, in becoming an ambassador for the UN, will help the agency promote its Millennium Development Goals, which it hopes to achieve by the year 2015. Soccer star Didier Drogba was also named as an ambassador for the program along with Sharapova.
“UNDP works around the world making a positive difference in people’s lives, and I am proud to add my personal commitment to its work," Sharapova said at the UN headquarters in New York City. "UNDP’s efforts in the fight against poverty are crucial for young people everywhere to achieve their potential. I am looking forward to working with UNDP."
During the ceremony officially marking her appointment, the Russian also announced a $100,000 donation from her foundation to eight youth operations in her native country. The projects target areas affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986, particularly Belarus, the Federal Republic of Russia, and the Ukraine.
The 6’2” Siberian-born Sharapova, who left Moscow at age of 6 to train in the United States, has found much success on and off the court, winning the 2004 Wimbledon Championships and last year’s U.S. Open, while scoring big endorsement contracts with some of the world’s leading companies, including Motorola, Land Rover, Colgate-Palmolive, and Pepsi.
She’s now ready to give back, having begun the year by getting involved in a “global hydration campaign” for Gatorade, which the company says aims to “promote healthy hydration and nutrition habits to consumers.” As part of the program, Sharapova conducted a clinic for children while in Melbourne for the Australian Open. The UN endeavor marks her second goodwill mission of 2007.