MUMBAI: Tennis diva Maria Sharapova has inked a three-year sponsorship deal with Samsung Electronics covering her native Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States after her deal with Sony Ericsson expired last year.

The sponsorship agreement, which includes mobile phones, tablet computers and television sets, may go global next year.

Sharapova’s manager at IMG Worldwide Max Eisenbud believes Russia is a largely untapped market for tennis, what with Sochi hosting the Olympic Games in 2014.

“Maria really hasn’t been marketed that much in Russia. It’s important to her because that’s where her roots are. I also felt that was a really untapped market, with the 2014 Sochi Olympics coming up."

According to Forbes magazine, the 24-year-old Tennis star earns around $25 million a year in endorsements.

She endorses a number of brands which include Unilever’s Clear shampoo, US fashion label Cole Haan, French mineral water brand Evian, sports equipment maker Head, American sportswear brand Nike, American jewellery and silverware company Tiffany & Co and Swiss luxury watchmaker Tag Heuer.