Maria Sharapova keeping herself busy with an ad agency 'job'

Maria Sharapova. Pic/Getty Images

London: Maria Sharapova went to work for a leading advertising agency here last week in order to enhance her business acumen after attending a course at Harvard Business School.

Maria Sharapova. Pic/Getty Images

Sharapova, who is serving a two-year doping ban and missed this year's Wimbledon, was in London during the tournament to broaden her corporate canvas.

The Daily Mail reported recently that Sharapova worked at VCCP for a week as she awaits her hearing against the two-year ban. The Russian tennis queen was reported to have consumed Meldonium and her on-field absence (which may include the forthcoming Rio Olympics) has been felt through the sporting globe.

Tennis legend Andre Agassi was reported as saying that he is missing Sharapova. "It's a complicated case. The integrity of sport is sacred and must be defended at all costs. It's hard to believe. I'm sorry that Sharapova can't participate in Rio. I miss her already, Agassi told Tennis Circus.

"Sharapova is seeking to increase her business skills to help promote her Sugarpova brand of luxury candy, to which she has recently added a range of chocolates.

"Just how long she will have on her hands to sharpen her business acumen remains unclear. At present she is serving a two-year suspension dating back to her positive test at the Australian Open on January 25," Daily Mail reported.

Sharapova is the founder of candy brand Sugarpova for which she is a Creative Director as well.

"It's been both challenging and fun for me to flex a new set of muscles off the court over the past few years. As Creative Director of Sugarpova, I've had a hands-on role in creating and selecting candy types and flavours for my gummy collection and, over the past year, I traveled the globe looking for the perfect partner to help get our line of chocolate together," he wrote earlier this month in Haute Living.