|
 There probably isn't a child in the world who hasn't batted a ball against a wall at some time in their life. But when one four-year-old Russian girl tentatively threw her first ball into the air and met it with a timid forehand drive, it opened the way to a world most children only dream of. For this little girl — baptised Maria by her Russian Orthodox parents the Sharapovas - was taking the first steps of what is turning into a remarkable tennis career.
At this year's Wimbledon, Maria Sharapova, now 17, plans to show the world how her drive and ambition, combined with rigorous training and her parents' unfailing support, have helped nurture her fledgling ball play into true tennis talent. Indeed, many pundits believe it won't be long before Maria's ability launches her into the realm of tennis superstardom. her ground strokes formidable and her backhand deadly. The raw material is there and, as Maria herself says, her next goal is to hone her arsenal of shots into a force that flows regularly and reliably, and will intimidate her opponents. “I'm getting there,” she says determinedly.
It is a testament to her improving talent that last year, despite a world ranking of 91, the tennis elite showed their confidence in Maria by giving her a chance to compete on the hallowed green turf of The All England Club as a wild card. This year, that faith has borne fruit. Maria's ranking has shot up to 15, which means her Wimbledon 2004 place is secure.
“Last year I made it into the last 16; 1 should do better this year. I know all eyes will be on me but that's okay. I've become used to being in the spotlight. I can handle it and I'm feeling very confident. I know I've got it in me to do well,” she says.
The tennis fraternity agrees. Says former world No.1 Tracy Austin: “She's only going up.” And Maria's coach Robert Lansdorp, who has trained Tracy, Lindsay Davenport and Pete Sampras, confirms: “Maria has the quality of a champion. She plays without fear.”
The praise doesn't end there. Some say that Maria could be the next Martina Navratilova. The tennis legend spotted the young girl's talent early on. When she saw Maria, aged six, playing at the Moscow Tennis Clinic, Martina advised her parents to take their daughter to America. Maria and her father Yuri moved to the US but her mother Yelena had to stay at home as the Soviet authorities would only issue the family with two exit permits.
Maria wasn't the sort of child to squander the sacrifices her family had made for her. Aged seven, she signed up for the gruelling schedule of the Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida, known as the ‘dream factory' for its ability to breed players of the calibre of Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Monica Seles. While Maria boarded there, Yuri rented a small flat an hour's walk away and took construction work to supplement the $700 he'd begged and borrowed from family and friends to travel to the US.
“I saw Papa only now and then and Mamma was on the other side of the world — I didn't see her for two years. It was tough but I don't remember crying, though I missed them very much.”
At the time, neither father nor daughter spoke English and both missed their home and Yelena terribly. But as often happens in life, hardship threw up a golden opportunity. While Maria was building the foundations of her career, she was also forging an enviably close bond with her father.
“I couldn't have done it without Papa. Mamma's my best friend. We chat, go shopping or to the beach and chill out with books. But when it comes to tennis, it's Papa and me. He's been by my side from the start. He comes to every tournament, takes care of me, keeps my show on the road and is always there for me to talk things through. I feel whatever I achieve, Papa and I will have done it together. “Mamma doesn't travel the world with us but we phone her after every match so she knows how I'm doing.”
At 6ft, with stunning looks and impossibly long legs that have earned her the moniker Siberian Siren, comparisons to her compatriot Anna Kournikova were inevitable. But it's not something she's happy with. “No, I'm not the next Anna,” she says. “I'm the first Maria Sharapova.”
It's a point she's proving emphatically. Unlike Anna, Maria wins tournaments — she already has the Quebec City and Japan titles to her name and on June 13 added the DFS Classic at Edgbaston to her cache.
Nick Bollettieri. founder of the academy, says: “They're good-looking but Maria has more fire power and a different mentality to Anna. Maria could bend steel, she's so tough.”
 That's on the court, of course. Off court she's like any teenager. She's a fan of Harry Potter and aromatherapv. “I use oils on my feet every day. I must keep them healthy, without blisters or calluses. I use eucalyptus and peppermint oil, although my current favourite is lemon grass. I try to have a full body massage or wrap once a week. I love to be pampered.”
Sun worshipping is another of her passions. She regularly tops up her tan at the beach, a 15-minute drive from the Florida family home. Oh, and she collects stamps. “I've got thousands and, thanks to fans who send them to me from all over the world, my collection's still growing,” she adds.
Maria's maturity makes it easy to forget she's still at school. Quite how she manages to squeeze her home study in between a daily schedule of four hours' tennis coaching, one hour's fitness training, yoga sessions and flying around the world to tournaments is hard to imagine. But she does. Brilliantly. In fact, this driven self-believer seems to excel at everything she turns her hand to.
“I'm getting good marks at school, plenty of As, and I've got university at the back of my mind. I'd like to study fashion with a view to designing clothes when my tennis career is over. I'd love to own a boutique that sells the clothes I've designed,” she says.
And as our photos show, she's taken to modelling like a duck to water. “It came naturally. I've been doing photo shoots since I was 13. Photographers gave me tips. I have no desire to be professional, though. I do it for fun.”
Does she go to the big fashion shows? “I turn down invitations because of my tennis schedule. Tennis must always come first. It's what I'm doing with my life now. I must stay focused.”
That focus is paying off. In the past year, her rise up the women's world ranking is due to impressive results. She beat Jelena Dokic and Elena Dementieva (twice), both of whom were ranked higher than her at the time.
Maria's not stopping there, though. She knows she has to win against tennis's elite — the Williams sisters and Belgian duo Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne — if her name is to be engraved on the coveted silver dish of the world's oldest and most prestigious tennis championship.
She'll also have to beat the big names if she's to earn big money. Although with sponsors like Nike and racquet makers Prince, a deal to promote the game Speedminton, plus modelling and earnings of £63,500 in the first five months of this year alone, Maria's on her way to joining the tennis millionaire's club.
Not that the financial side of the game interests her that much. “I play tennis because I love jt. I don't do it for the money. I play because I want to be the best in the world,” she claims.
So she leaves Papa to take care of that, just as he takes care of her. Part of his job is to shield Maria from any worries that aren't tennis related. This may explain why Maria has never had a serious injury in her career.
‘That's Papa,” she agrees. “He knows me so well. He knows when I say I'm tired but can be pushed that little bit further. He's a tough guy. If I'm lazy, he pushes me. But he knows when I'm tired and can't be pushed. He'd never let me overdo it. If he thinks we're running that risk we go to a museum and have a laugh. We have a wonderful understanding.”
After asserting in the past that boys are something she doesn't have time for, has Maria now found a boyfriend to build an understanding with? She giggles. “I'm not saying whether I've got a boyfriend or not,” she teases.
Well, anyone who's interested — and there must be many — needs to be clear about one thing: for now, and the foreseeable future, there's only room for one man in Maria's life — Papa.
|
