Maria makes it into Forbes Celebrity 100

High-level female tennis players have been ranked in the Forbes Celebrity 100, with Maria Sharapova the highest-placed female athlete. Sharapova, Serena Williams and Justine Henin are all in this year's Forbes Celebrity 100 list. The list ranks 100 of the most well-known and powerful celebrities in the world from the period of June 2007 to June 2008.

The three tennis stars have all been ranked No.1 on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour during their careers; while their rankings aren't quite so high on the Forbes list, they have still beaten, among others, supermodel Kate Moss and actor Charlie Sheen.

Russian-born Sharapova, named Top Female Athlete and ranked at No.61 on the Forbes Celebrity 100, has had a colorful career with 19 titles under her belt, including Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon (2004), the US Open (2006) and the Australian Open (2008); her career earnings to date amount to a grand total of $12,122,252. The 20-year-old is sponsored by a range of prestigious brands, including Sony Ericsson, TAG Heuer, Land Rover, Canon, Tiffany & Co, Nike, Colgate and Gatorade. One of her recent television appearances was on the US program The Late Show with David Letterman.

World No.6 Willams comes in at No.69 on this year's Forbes Celebrity 100. The 26-year-old, best known in tennis for her strength and speed on court, is also a powerful player in the celebrity arena, having dabbled in acting and fashion design. So far this year Williams has collected three titles, including the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, where she also played the first-ever tennis match on water with Rafael Nadal. Williams' sponsors include Nike, Wilson and HP.

Sharapova and Williams also star in the Tour's brand new, multi-million-dollar advertising campaign, launched in London on Wednesday, June 18.

Henin shocked the world in May with her retirement, being the first tennis player on the Tour to retire while ranked No.1. At No.81 on the Forbes Celebrity 100, Henin is just four places below Hollywood superstar Cate Blanchett. Henin enjoyed a superb 2007, winning 10 out her 14 tournaments and becoming the first female athlete in history to win more than $5 million in a single year. Despite stepping away from the Tour, Henin will continue work at her 6th Sense Tennis Academy and Justine's Winners Circle children's foundation, among other things.