Tennis champion Maria Sharapova has created her own range of confectionery called Sugarpova.

The 25-year-old has been the face of such brands as Evian, Nike, Tiffany & Co, Canon, Prince and Land Rover.

The new line will offer 12 different types of candy, including 'Flirty' lip-shaped candies, 'Cheeky' gummy bears and 'Sporty' tennis ball shaped sweets which are already sold out.

Maria said "I wanted to own something - something 100% me. Where I make all the final decisions; here I'm involved from start to finish."

She added that Sugarpova is “the most exciting project that I’ve ever done … because it’s my own business, my own investment, my own money.”

Maria's venture will help her maintain her position at the top of Forbes magazine’s list of the world’s highest-paid female athletes, however a proportion of the sales will go to the Maria Sharapova Foundation which helps victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986.

Photo: © Rex