Backcourt Baby News
Another first for Ashley Harkleroad, the first professional tennis player to pose for a nude pictorial in Playboy: According to online reports, Harkleroad and her coach and fiancé Chuck Adams welcomed their first child, a baby boy weighing 7 pounds, 12 ounces, on March 25. Harkleroad, a Georgia native who turns 24 next month, has not played since losing in the first round in Los Angeles last July. Her pregnancy was announced the following month at the U.S. Open. Harkleroad, whose career-high ranking of No. 39 was achieved in 2003, plans a return to the courts this summer.
Verdasco Love Triangle?
Fernando Verdasco is enjoying a career-best start to the year, but perhaps even more intriguing than his ascendance to No. 8 in the world is the Spanish heartthrob’s love life. The 25-year-old Verdasco, who counts players Gisela Dulko of Argentina and Ana Ivanovic of Serbia among his exes, had Danish teenager Caroline Wozniacki in his cheering section during a match in Indian Wells last month. And Verdasco apparently returned the favor, showing up to watch Wozniacki’s fourth-round victory over Urszula Radwanska. The duo was photographed together (albeit alongside Urszula’s big sister Agnieszka) at the K-Swiss player party in Indian Wells.
But try to keep up: During Verdasco’s loss to Roger Federer in Indian Wells, the Spaniard was being cheered by another beauty, 25-year-old actress Camilla Belle, a close friend of Maria Sharapova’s. Verdasco and the Brazilian-American actress also looked cozy spending time together on the outdoor veranda where players eat. But Belle is reportedly dating country crooner Taylor Swift’s ex, Joe Jonas.
Just days after Indian Wells wrapped, Belle and Jonas were seen lunching at Urth Café in Beverly Hills, with Verdasco across the country in Key Biscayne, Fla. I guess Belle and Verdasco are just friends… so what does that mean for Wozniacki?
“Sharapova Inc.” Going Strong
Though a shoulder injury has kept Maria Sharapova out of action since last summer, she was still a notable presence at the Sony Ericsson Open, hitting the promotional circuit for her sponsors in Miami.
Sharapova attended a meet-and-greet at the Cole Haan store in the Village at Merrick Park and filmed a promotional spot for the new Sony Ericsson T707 phone during the player party held at Liv nightclub in the trendy hotel Fontainebleau.
Neither Sharapova’s injury nor the dismal economic climate seem to be harming her empire. Daniel Kaplan writes in the Sports Business Journal that three of her sponsors—Nike subsidiary Cole Haan, Tag Heuer and Sony Ericsson—are launching ad campaigns starring the former world No. 1, signs that “Sharapova Inc.” is staying strong. It was also reported that Sharapova has inked a new shampoo-company deal worth $2.5 million a year, and will be shooting the ad campaign this week.
Additionally, Sharapova, who is dating Charlie Ebersol, son of NBC Sports and Olympics chief Dick Ebersol, is working on a television project. Her previous foray into the small-screen world didn’t work out (her tennis-themed drama with the CW network never came to fruition), but that setback didn’t prevent the 21-year-old from trying again.
“She will serve as the executive producer of a weekly drama series loosely based on her life that MTV has agreed to run,” Kaplan reports. “[Her agent Max] Eisenbud is also planning an animation series portraying her as a tennis player by day and a spy/superhero by night who uses the global tennis tour as a cover. Sharapova plans to do voice-overs for both series.”
Kournikova Tri-s Again
Tennis pinup (and former Wimbledon semifinalist) Anna Kournikova was in the stands last week at the Sony Ericsson event in Miami, where she was a finalist in 1998. Kournikova and longtime boyfriend Enrique Iglesias took in the all-Williams semifinal.
Kournikova, who makes her home in Miami, took part in the Second Annual Nautica South Beach Triathlon last Sunday, running a four-mile leg for her relay team. The 27-year-old also held her own at beer pong when she played Jimmy Fallon during a March appearance on the host’s late night show.