Firstly, I’d like to briefly highlight some of sport’s best known (and arguably finest) female athletes and my introductions to them. I’d like to note that the following girls have more than just athletic talent in which ties them together. They are all above average in appearance, they are the spokespersons for not only their sports but for various companies, some have appeared in music videos, men’s magazine, have songs written about them or even their own Barbie doll.
There are two girls in tennis that are widely known for both their on court abilities and beauty, and this is where I would like to begin. Anna Kournikova and Two-time grand slam winner and tennis sensation Maria Sharapova. One is currently ranked #1 in the world, the other never reached the top 5.
In my opinion Anna Kournikova is like the foremother of the “female athlete" as a "sex symbol”. Kournikova was never the number 1 in tennis, at her very best she was ranked 8th in the world. However, her earnings were about equal to the number one player at the time, Martina Hingis, who was winning millions in tournament money. The difference was Kournikova was the steriotypical “Hot” girl that could grab guys attention. She is tall, long legged, blonde, tanned and was “barely legal” when she began her career. Her endorsement contracts put her ahead of a number or the worlds most accomplished athletes. She appeared on a number of covers for men’s magazines, was even named “sexiest woman alive” for one. I was first introduced to her on TV, while my brother was channel surfing. He mumbled quietly something along the lines of “she’s so hot, but not that great at tennis”.
Maria Sharapova a few years later fit the same "hot girl" profile as Kournikov. She has been ranked the leading female athlete in money earnings this year through tournaments and endorsements. However, she didn't gain celebrity status or recognition in tennis until her Wimbledon 2004 win, where she soon after became ranked number 1 in the world. Since then she has become the spokesperson for Sony Ericcson cell phones, Nikon cameras, Nike, and Gatorade to name only a few.
Working at a tennis club as a tennis instructor for the past three years I have heard my fair share of comments about Sharapova, from 15 year olds boys to 60 year old men. Despite age differences, their comments (with variations in vocabulary) were rarely about her tennis game and very similar. When I would watch tennis tournaments on T.V during “lunch-time” and Sharipova was on screen, the girls I taught would talk about her “pretty dresses” and “sparkly earrings”. I found this interesting because whenever te men were shown on TV playing tennis, all the comments from men and children alike were regarding their ability to play tennis.
I think it is important to at least note that Sharapova unlike Kournikova, only became internationally popular and recognized as beautiful and talented after her big wins. Unlike her predecessor, who actually never won any major single tournaments in her professional career.
I was introduced to Danica Patrick when I was flipping channels late one night and came across David Letterman. I had no idea who the girl was at the time, I assumed an upcoming actress, but soon discovered that she is the first ever female NASCAR driver. She was without doubt a pretty girl, and Letterman was quick to point that out. They even talked about the effects of that on her popularity, and all her endorsements for a while, but I can’t really remember specifics. What I do remember was when Letterman pulled out from his desk the Danica Patrick barbie doll that had just been put on Toy Store Shelves across America. But Danica’s success and beauty has been used to sell products to more than just little girls. She also appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, and was even asked to appear in Playboy but denied. * Something inside me respects her a lot more for not accepting that offer. . .
Then there is the “All-American Girl” Natalie Gulbis. Gulbis plays in the LPGA and I knew nothing about her until I started dating my boyfriend, who is a nationally ranked golf player. According to my boyfriend she is the sex symbol of the LPGA. Like Kournikova, she has never been the best, or even close. She didn’t win her first LPGA event until 2007, five years after beginning her professional career in the LPGA. However she placed sixth on the LPGA money list, earning over a million per year in endorsements. Gulbis’ media coverage in the LPGA has been compared to Tiger Woods in PGA tour. She receives the same amount of coverage in the LPGA as Tiger Woods. The difference is Tiger Woods is considered the best golf player of his time, he has broken records and then broken them again. Natalie Gulbis is a middle of the pack LPGA player and no where near comparable to Tiger in the PGA with regards to talent.
I found the following video on youtube. It takes place after Gulbis's first LPGA win and discusses how everyone had forgotten that Gulbis was actually a "good" golfer because of her "look". It emphasizes how Gulbis "woke up men to female golf", but then tries to argue that she is a player and a winner, and not golf's Kournikova. I have a tough time with that one, because Kournikova at her peak was actually ranked higher than Gulbis. I thought it was too good not to show...
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