21st December, 2010
Former Wimbledon tennis champion Maria Sharapova, ended her 10-year sponsorship agreement with racket manufacturer Prince Sports Inc., both parties said.
“Sharapovaâ€
Max Eisenbud, the Russianâ€
Sharapova, 23, had been playing with a Prince racket since she was nine years old. All three of her major titles, Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the Australian Open, were won with a Prince racket.
Gordon Boggis, chief executive of Bordentown, New Jersey- based Prince Sports, thanked the former world No. 1 for being a “great partner.†As the partnership is wound down, Prince will continue to have the rights to market and sell Maria Sharapova signature-line products throughout 2011, the statement said.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my partnership with Prince,†Sharapova said in the statement. “Their rackets helped me to three great slam victories and much more. I will always retain nothing but the highest admiration for Prince.â€
Sharapova is the worldâ€