Maria Sharapova Of Russia Blows A Kiss After Defeating Samantha Murray Of Britain In Their Women's Singles Ttennis Match At The Wimbledon Tennis Championships, In London
Maria Sharapova of Russia blows a kiss after defeating Samantha Murray of Britain in their women's singles tennis match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in London June 24, 2014. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

Maria Sharapova has been subjected to criticism by various obesity support groups and other people because of her candy line Sugarpova. Recently, retired professional tennis player and former World No. 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov took a jab at Sharapova on Twitter.

Two-time Grand Slam champion Kafelnikov posted a digitally altered picture of Sharapova, looking a few pounds heavier. "Ups, that's what awaits for you then you eat 'Sugarpova' cookies," Kafelnikov captioned the photo. Sharapova has not yet commented on the latest denunciation she received on her premium candy brand.

Sharapova isn't really new to Sugarpova criticisms. She has previously earned harsh judgments for using her stardom in the sporting world of tennis to promote a line of confectionery to her fans and supporters. In 2013, the National Obesity Forum called Sharapova "irresponsible," according to Reuters.

Neil Gibb of Huffington Post also took a dig at Sharapova for choosing to promote a product like Sugarpova. Gibb said that Sharapova could have just opted to promote a product like "muesli" or anything that she eats that make her perform well on the tennis court.

Answering the criticisms that she encourages unhealthy eating, Sharapova explained to Telegraph Sport during the opening of her pop-up candy lounge at 2014 Wimbledon championships that the key is to eat everything in moderation. She recalled having been rewarded with sweets and lollipops for playing good tennis when she was little, so she has always had a sweet tooth. She added that she still likes to reward herself with some sweets or a cupcake every time she wins a match.

Sugarpova was launched in 2012. It has 12 different flavours with playful names such as Flirty, Quirky, Splashy, Chic, Silly, Sporty, and Cheeky. The candy line includes fruit-flavoured gum balls, gummy candies, and candy kisses. As described on Sugarpova's official site, the products reflect the "fun, fashionable, sweet side of the international tennis sensation."

Sharapova even thought of changing her surname to Sugarpova, but her agent Max Eisenbud told ESPN that they "ultimately decided against it." Eisenbud said that changing Sharapova's surname would mean a lot of work, including having to change all her identification.

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