Wimbledon 2004 tennis champion Maria Sharapova, 17, one of the world’s top-ranking tennis players, has become the youngest brand ambassador for TAG Heuer, the Swiss luxury sports watch.

Adding Russian-born Sharapova, says Jean-Christophe Babin, TAG Heuer Worldwide president and chief executive officer, will enable TAG Heuer to “further expand it’s women’s market [and] reinforce the brand’s profile in the professional tennis world.” In the 1990s, the brand’s representatives included international tennis stars Boris Becker and Monica Seles.

Sharapova’s multi-year contract with TAG Heuer includes public relations, marketing, input for new product development, and advertising. First up: appearing in TAG Heuer’s “What are you made of?” ad campaign, photographed by renowned fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier.

JCK