Maria Sharapova

“Since I'm constantly in the sun, I use sunscreen daily.”

“Whenever I have friends over, we end up eating and talking and losing track of time, and, once in a while, singing karaoke. It reminds me of the family meals we had in Russia, which always lasted a very long time. That's a tradition I miss.”

“I don't follow other players or the tournaments they play. I have my own schedule and do my own thing. I never really think, 'Oh, I want to be or play like so-and-so.' I just like being myself.”

“I've been playing against older and stronger competition my whole life. It has made me a better tennis player and able to play against this kind of level despite their strength and experience.”

“I go to yoga classes and work on my core.”

“I try not to hit a swing volley and run back. So my swing volley is kind of that transition to the net. It's been one of my favorite shots ever since I was young.”

“To be honest, everything in my life outside of tennis is great. I'm doing amazing projects that, if I didn't have time off, I wouldn't be able to focus on.”

“I definitely feel Russian inside, even when I'm in America I feel Russian.”

“I love competing.”

“As an individual, I take every match seriously, no matter who I'm going to play.”

“My family and I built my whole career from scratch.”

“I always have a Sharpie, because usually when someone asks me for an autograph, they don't have a pen. I carry one in my purse, as well as in my tennis bag.”

“Ever since I was young I loved making things and being part of the design process.”

“After being on the court for six hours, being on TV is very glamorous and fun for me. But tennis is always going to be my priority. It's not going to be this thing when all of a sudden TV will get in the way of that.”

“I have a Russian heart.”

“I owe a lot to my parents.”

“You have your bad moments in your career and your good moments. And it's been a good ride so far, but it's not over yet.”

“It's strange for my friends when they see me on TV and in magazines, because the person that they see doing interviews and pictures on the red carpet is not the person that they know.”

“I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so early. And maybe they can achieve it, too, just to get that in their minds.”

“When I walk through that gate to the court, that's my escape. I block out everything, good and bad.”