
Maria Sharapova joins CFI as global brand ambassador
She joins seven-time Formula 1™ world champion Lewis Hamilton, who's been fronting the brand since 2024. Last year, CFI brought Hamilton to the Museum of the Future to celebrate one of the brand's biggest milestones: achieving a trading volume of USD1.03 trillion in Q3 alone.
With both of these sporting legends now on the CFI roster, there's a chance we may see Sharapova here in Dubai.
Expect to see her fronting major campaigns and connecting with audiences across the globe. And yes, that might include the UAE.
Known for her razor-sharp discipline both on and off the court, Maria's second act as an entrepreneur, investor and designer make her a natural fit for CFI.
Speaking about the partnership, Maria said: 'CFI's focus on innovation, education and empowering individuals resonated with me. Whether in sport or business, success comes down to being intentional, prepared and willing to learn.
'I've always believed in the importance of staying curious, adapting to change and leading with purpose and those values have continued to guide me beyond the court.'
CFI is scaling up its presence in key markets like the UAE, with a growing community of traders who want more from their platforms. With Sharapova on board, the connection between the brand and its users is about to get a major boost.
*Time Out does not offer financial advice.
Learn more: cfi.trade/en/uae

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Turkey joins host of countries eyeing F1 race – and could step-in as soon as 2026
Turkey is looking to claim a permanent spot back on the F1 calendar and has offered the services of Istanbul Park for 2026 should any country be unable to host their race. The Turkish Grand Prix first appeared on the sport's calendar in 2005 for seven iterations, before it was dropped in 2011. However, the race at the popular Istanbul circuit returned in the Covid-hit years of 2020 and 2021. However, the Turkish Automobile Sports Federation (TOSFED) have made it known their desire to host a race again. While the 24-race 2026 calendar has already been published, Istanbul could step in if any race – such as the new street track in Madrid, with the race scheduled in September 2026 – is not ready in time. 'As is known, the 2026 calendar has already been announced,' TOSFED president Eren Uclertopragi told Autosport. 'Nevertheless, in the event that a race cannot be held for various reasons, we could host the Turkish Grand Prix.' However, Ulcertopragi has made it known that Turkey – alongside a host of other countries such as South Africa, Rwanda, Nigeria, Thailand and South Korea – wants a long-term spot on the schedule. 'There is a strong commitment from the government to bring Turkey back onto the Formula 1 calendar with a permanent and long-term agreement. 'Unlike during the pandemic, we do not want to host a one-off replacement race; instead, we aim to secure a place on the calendar through a long-term contract.' The federation's president added that a potential bid has the backing of Turkey's government and its location offers advantages, especially if any potential race can be paired with the nearby Azerbaijan Grand Prix. 'Turkey still has a very popular and unique track, a population of 85 million, great interest in the sport among young people, a market where more than 1.2 million cars are sold annually, factories or major distributors of most F1 car brands located here, and a geopolitical position,' he said. 'The huge spectator potential in countries within a two-to-three-hour flight from Istanbul makes it a country that could add significant value to the F1 calendar if included. 'Preferably, September is a month when the weather is good in Istanbul and students return to school. Therefore, I think it would be very convenient to organise the race in September. 'The fact that the Azerbaijan GP will also take place in our sister country in September could make things easier for Formula 1 teams in terms of logistics. A race that can be held before or after going to or returning from Baku would be a relatively lower-cost and easier operation for F1.' With the Dutch Grand Prix set to leave the calendar after 2026 and Barcelona also dropping off, two spots could open up for 2027. F1 is keen to host a race in Africa, the only habitable continent it does not host an event in, while a street track in Bangkok is also being considered by bosses of the sport.


The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Lewis Hamilton comforted Kimi Antonelli after tricky Belgian GP
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received advice from Lewis Hamilton during a challenging weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix. Antonelli, 18, has experienced a difficult run of Formula 1 races since his podium finish in Canada, including retiring from two Grands Prix and finishing 16th at Spa. Hamilton visited Antonelli in the Mercedes motorhome and encouraged him to 'keep his head up' and 'keep believing' after Antonelli was emotional following Q1 elimination. Hamilton, who also started his F1 career with a top team, expressed support for Antonelli, acknowledging the pressure on an 18-year-old in such a position. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has stated that retaining Antonelli and George Russell is now his 'priority' for the next season.


BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Faster than Rory, further than Bryson - life on golf's 'party' side
Six golf balls, a shot clock with music blaring, and a WWE-style belt for a it's not a scene from the new Happy Gilmore movie, but the professional sport of Long Drive Golf. As the sport's name would suggest, it is all about hitting the longest drive possible and Northern Ireland's Aaron Lennie is one of the best in putts, no wedges and no water hazards. Driving distance off the tee is all that matters. Just how far are those drives? Well, at the recent Open Championship at Royal Portrush, Bryson DeChambeau topped the driving distance category with an average of 327.5 yards - a full football pitch less than Lennie's personal best of 437 more than 185mph, Rory McIlroy is one of the top players in professional golf for ball speed, but Lennie can surpass 200mph. That's as quick as a Formula 1 have two-and-a-half minutes to hit six balls down a long grid, with an out of bounds area either side. They go head-to-head in group or knockout stages, and there's plenty of drama, a party in the stands and some showboating alongside it all."It's like a party atmosphere, a totally different scene to golf," said Lennie, who recently won his first professional event in Austria."I don't know if people will like this, but it kind of has a LIV feel to it. There's music blasting, there's a lot of noise, a lot of energy. It's fast-paced, which for some people is something that's missing from golf. "It's a breath of fresh air that way. It's a game within a game. None of us claim to be good golfers but we can hit a ball far and we can do it well." Speaking of DeChambeau, the two-time major winner has played a key role in the growing popularity of the sport. Not afraid to step outside his comfort zone, the American entered the World Long Drive Championship in 2022 and, of the 128 players to start the event, he came second with a drive of 406 yards."My generation have benefited massively from Bryson doing what he did," Lennie said."When he dipped his toes in the Long Drive scene it was kind of at rock bottom. "The spotlight he brought to it was massive for us and it's getting bigger and bigger year on year." 'There's a lot of ego in the sport' Lennie came across the sport after a failed attempt at breaking into golf's professional ranks. The 26-year-old went to college in the USA and said he wanted to stay involved with the sport, taking part in his first Long Drive tournament in 2022."I got the bug for it and just wanted to hit it further, further and further," said Lennie."It's got explosive power movements, you want to be able to rotate really quickly and create a lot of force from the ground. "It's the same thing a lot of the pro golfers are doing now to hit it further, it's just we are at the extreme end of that." Lennie combines his Long Drive commitments with being an assistant professional at Clandeboye Golf Club in County only picking up the sport three years ago, he won his first professional event in Austria on the European tour and qualified for his first World Championships in September. "It felt good and it was a monkey off my back," he said."Hopefully it's the start of a few more to come".Due to the distances that the professional Long Drive players can strike the ball, Lennie does the majority of his practice sessions indoorsIt allows him to adjust his technique, look at the data behind each swing, and track each one of his drives. "In some sessions we don't really care where the ball goes, we just want it to go fast and far. In terms of hitting it straight it's a whole other practice session."There's a lot of ego in the sport, I don't think anyone can deny that, but there's a science to it as well with all the fine details to make sure the ball is going as far as it can."We get to do the fun part, we don't need to worry about the bunkers or anything like that. We just tee it up and give it a hit."