Russian pin-up Anna Kournikova is the most popular tennis star, with a total of 80 websites. The Williams sisters are in second and third place with 47 while ten sites feature Jennifer Capriati and seven focus on Lindsey Davenport.
In contrast, the entire top ten male tennis stars manage just 81 domain names between them. US star Andy Roddick is top of the popularity stakes with 16 sites while Britain’s Tim Henman is second with 14.
But the research also exposes a failure amongst players of both sexes to defend their online image.
"Top sports stars have become global brands with huge marketing potential,” said Jonathan Robinson, director of business development at NetNames.
“Although there will always be domain name speculators out there trying to capitalise on well-known companies and celebrities, what was particularly surprising from our research was that so few tennis players or their agents have made any effort to protect their online brand.
“Many players have left themselves open to cybersquatting by failing to register common variations of domains based on their name such as .co.uk. This could prove to be particularly damaging when trying to retain control of a player's reputation online."
The popularity of women’s tennis on the internet is outstripping its male counterpart, according to research published today by domain name specialist NetNames.
