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WIMBLEDON

June 19, 2010

Maria Sharapova

LONDON, ENGLAND

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Are you still serving big like you did at Birmingham, 121?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: 121? There are no speed guns at the practice courts at Aorangi.
Feels good. Had a few good practices in the last few days. Just trying to stay warm now, you know.

Q. The queen is going to be here on Thursday. There's an issue of whether to curtsy. What would you do?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: I've never had the honor to curtsy before. I think I was probably too young for that and the rule kind of went away.
So, uhm, it would be kind of fun. Yeah, I'd love to do it. I think it would be an honor for all of us, yeah.

Q. You won here in 2004. You had two semifinal appearances. You got to the fourth round. Then for two years you were beaten in the second round. During that period, that journey, you've had quite a lot of setbacks with injuries. Somehow you seem to keep your intensity, your will to win. I wonder how you manage to do that? The evidence seems to show you've had all these problems; yet you maintain your self-belief.
MARIA SHARAPOVA: I think because as an athlete, everyone is going to have setbacks. Some are going to have bigger setbacks than others. Some are going to have injuries. Some are going to get away from the game for a little bit.
There are many things that go on. We travel for 10 or 11 months a year. We constantly play tournaments. We've done it from a very young age. Things are bound to happen. I mean, I was unfortunate that I had to have a pretty severe operation at a young age. At that point in your career it's not exactly the best situation, the thing you want to do.
I certainly knew that some have never come back from it. A majority of people that came back from shoulder surgery never came back to play tennis again. It always crosses your mind, creates setback. As much as I love the sport, I never gave up on coming back.
I always wanted that feeling of competing and hitting -- first I was trying to hit a tennis ball for more than a few minutes a day. Then it was trying to get back to competition because that's what I love.
I woke up every morning trying to get back to that. When you're on the court, you have to put many things in perspective and realize that, uhm, it's not all rainbows and butterflies, that you're going to have your days and moments where it's gonna be not so fun.
But we hit a tennis ball for a living, so... Can't be that bad.

Q. So your self-belief is as strong as it ever was?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, it has to be. In women's tennis, it has to be. You have to be ready to go out and play against different opponents. You know, the game is really deep right now. You have to be ready from the first round. You have to have that intensity and belief in yourself, absolutely.

Q. Do you still enjoy the game as much as ever?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Oh, yeah. Absolutely.

Q. Does it always feel special coming back to Wimbledon?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: It does. It certainly does. The week before when there's just the players, the groundsmen getting the last bits and pieces out there, knowing that something big is around the corner, you really feel that atmosphere, the intensity of something going on. Then you see the dark clouds coming out, you're like, Yeah, that's coming next week (laughter).
But I always look forward to it. I love this tournament as much as I did many years ago.

Q. Seem like a long time ago since you had your breakthrough win here?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: It does because it was. Six years ago, yeah.

Q. Do you take advantage in any way of being a member of the club?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: I haven't, not in the past six years. Maybe when I'm retired.

Q. Free tickets, extra good sandwiches or something?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: You get a badge that says you're a member (laughter).
As far as the sandwiches, no, I haven't asked for that yet. But maybe I should. And, uhm, I don't know all the rules exactly. I might need a handbook for that (smiling).

Q. You play first round Bondarenko who won Wimbledon same year as you but in juniors. What do you know about her?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: She's a really good player, plays really solid tennis, plays really great on grass. It's going to be a tough match.
We've never played against each other. So it will be our first meeting. So I think the goal is to go out there and, you know, try to figure out her game as quickly as possible. Also be aware about the things that you do well, just be consistent, yeah.

End of FastScripts

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