Reach for the top

(Part -II)

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A Russian girl, Maria Sharapova, reached the summit of women’s tennis when she was barely eighteen.

Little Maria had not yet celebrated her tenth birthday when she was packed off to train

in the United States. That trip to Florida with her father Yuri launched her on the path to success and stardom. But it also required a heart wrenching two year separation from her mother Yelena. The latter was compelled to stay back in Siberia because of visa restrictions. The nine year old girl had already learnt an important lesson in life — That Tennis excellence would only come at a price.

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“I used to be so lonely,” Maria Sharapova recalls. “I missed my mother terribly. My father was working as much as he could to keep my tennis training going. So, he couldn’t see me either.

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“Instead of letting that depress me, I became more quietly determined and mentally tough. I learnt how to take care of myself. I never thought of quitting because I knew what I wanted. When you come from nothing and you have nothing, then it makes you very hungry and determined . . . I would have put up with much more humiliation and insults than that to steadfastly pursue my dream.”

While her journey from the frozen plains of Siberia to the summit of women’s tennis has touched the hearts of tennis fans, for the youngster herself there appears to be no room for sentiment. The straight looks and the answers she gives when asked about her ambition make it amply clear that she considers the sacrifices were worth it. “I am very, very competitive. I work hard at what I do. It’s my job.” This is her mantra for success.

That toughness runs through Maria even today. It was the key to her bagging the women’s singles crown at Wimbledon in 2004 and to her meteoric rise to the world number one spot the following year.

Like any number of teenaged sensations, Maria Sharapova lists fashion, singing and dancing as her hobbies. She loves reading the novels of Arthur Conan Doyle. Her fondness for sophisticated evening gowns appears at odds with her love of pancakes with chocolate spread and fizzy orange drinks.