The Russian newspaper Sport-Express has announced its ‘Most beautiful Russian sportswomen’ list. According to the results of a vote by readers, first place was taken by Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova.

The combination of her tennis success and physical beauty has allowed Sharapova to secure commercial endorsements that greatly exceed the value of her tournament winnings. In April 2005, People magazine named her one of the 50 most beautiful celebrities in the world and in 2006, men’s magazine Maxim ranked Sharapova the hottest athlete in the world for the fourth consecutive year. She posed in a six-page bikini photo shoot spread in the 2006 Valentine's Day issue of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, alongside 25 scantily-clad supermodels.

In a poll run by Britain's FHM magazine, she was voted the seventh most eligible bachelorette, based on both wealth and looks. In June 2007, Forbes magazine listed her as the highest-paid female athlete in the world, with annual earnings of over $23 million, the majority of which was from endorsements and sponsorships.

Another Russian tennis star Maria Kirilenko was named the second most beautiful Russian sportswoman. Like her good friend Maria Sharapova, Kirilenko likes combining athletics and fashion. Speaking to Teen Vogue in August 2006, she said of being dressed by McCartney for a banquet, "I felt so glamorous!"

Kirilenko appeared in the 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition alongside Daniela Hantuchova and Tatiana Golovin in a pictorial entitled Volley of the dolls.

Russian figure-skater Tatiana Navka took the third place.

In 1998 she partnered with Roman Kostomarov and began competing for Russia. After taking a year off after the birth of her daughter, Navka began competing in earnest. Nakva and Kostomarov won the World Championship in 2004 and 2005, as well as the European Championships. They are the 2006 Olympic champions in figure skating.