Maria Sharapova has become an international icon at the tender age of 20, but what she wants most right now is to be healthy and get back to the sport she loves. I caught up with her this week at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., where she was practicing with her coach, Michael Joyce, and her father, Yuri.

"This is the second year in a row I am missing most of the clay court season," she said, "and it is so frustrating not being able to get the matches I need heading into a Grand Slam. But right now I am just taking it one day at a time and my priority is to just get healthy."

Maria is battling a nagging injury to her right shoulder, which has bothered her since the beginning of the year. It has affected not only her serve, but also her patience. In talking to Maria, it is apparent how much she loves competing and how much she misses the tension-filled atmosphere that surrounds every match she plays. In stark contrast to many of her starlet predecessors, Maria craves the satisfaction of victory on the court more then adulation off it.

That's not to say Maria doesn't enjoy the incredible access and opportunity that her status allows her. She has a keen eye for fashion and enjoys the process of collaborating with Nike, the clothing sponsor on her always-evolving line of dresses. She is personally responsible for bringing Nike from the sports pages to the fashion magazines.

"It all started with the black dress I wore during the U.S. Open last year [which she won incidentally]. I helped design that and everyone loved it, so I have continued to work with the Nike designers, and I enjoy it so much."

Maria isn't the type of person who dreams small or lacks belief in herself, and rightfully so. She is the first female tennis player to successfully transcend the athletic world for that of the fashion world. She was recently the first female athlete on the cover of Teen Vogue, and who could forget her spread in last year's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. She was recently featured in a 10-page spread in the March edition of Vogue and was named one of the "10 Best Dressed New Faces" by the magazine.

She designed the best-selling pink tennis bag for her tennis racket sponsor, Prince, and the new edition of her bag will be debuting soon, as will her new Canon commercial. She also has a successful perfume bearing her name, which she helped create. So you get the picture: This is one busy 20-year-old. She isn't just a tennis player; she is a walking, talking, tennis ball-pounding corporation.

Aside from that, however, she personally updates her Web site, answers fans questions and entertains her supporters with insightful and humorous information. Among the info, her "Dream Mixed Doubles Partner" (John McEnroe, so she would have someone to yell at the umpires with!), "Favorite Spa" (Four Seasons Costa Rica), "Favorite place she wants to go but hasn't been"(Maldives) and "Favorite Movie" (Something's Gotta Give)."

Maria's "Weekly Doodles" give her fans access and insight into her life, which sometimes is as simple as practicing and sometimes as spectacular as shooting commercials or attending fashion shows. Suffice to say, she makes the extra effort to let people into her life, giving them the opportunity to know her on and off court.

However what Maria wants everyone to know the most is that, "Tennis is my priority. I am very aware that I get to do a lot of other fun and exciting things because of my tennis, but it is tennis that I love the most, and I will never lose sight of that."

And that is exactly what her fans want to hear. Get healthy soon, Maria. Hope to see you in Paris.

tennis should be her top priority, after all that's her job and without it se is nto going to have all the deals she gets now.

Well that's right - but she may not need to hang around playing tennis for a great deal longer to be able to transcend sport and do a Kournikova, who is still raking it in and has not done anything except be famous for years as far as I know.

Hmm I think Kournikova plays World Team Tennis....full of retired tennis players and lower ranked americans (I think)

Yeah I guess you are right. Kournikova was never as good as Sharapova though in the game. I do wonder if that somehow enabled her to forge a career in other things, based on her looks, as no one expected so much of her? I dont; know, I'm just guessing. Maria clearly gets attention for her looks, but I do think that part of it is backed up by her winning slams (albeit onyl one when she first shot to fame in all things) and beign top 10. the novelty of a pretty girl who is also a winner? If so take away the winner and he rappeal may nto be so great? :shrug:

Ermmm Maria's won two slams......:lol: US Open last year ;)

Incidentally, I think part of the problem with Kournikova was that she had TOO much pressure heaped on her. She was very precocious and back in 1997 there were articles etc. saying that out of Venus, Hingis and she, Anna would have the better career.

That's partly why she went into doubles I think, she could still have great success but with less personal pressure. Also partly (along with injury) why she retired early. She just couldn't hack it out there imo. She wasn't a born champion, but at the same time, I think she's still a great underachiever in that she never won a singles title.

Surely this will shut the Maria haters up. Everytime i read an article about her, my respect for her grows

Hey I did say ONe slam at the time she first became famous, as in Wimby. I do follow some tennis you know! roflmao

Mayeb you are right re: Kournikova but I can't remember much about what she was like as a player tbh. I just remember her losing a lot and advertsing sports brassieres! roflmao

Oh rite :lol: I guess I just misinterpreted what you were saying. I wouldn't have been surprised if you'd forgotten that she won the US.Open as I think a lot of people do, due to the fact it just wasn't very memorable :devil: It was a pretty boring USO to be honest.

I thought it had some things going for it. The Serena v Mauresmo match was pretty exciting, although I can see why you didn't fancy the outcome. :P It was also good to see Davenport reach her tenth consecutive USO QF despite being out much of the year, though she unfortunately ran into Henin there. And Jankovic's breakthrough run made for some more head-turning, not to mention the spectacular way she flamed out after having Henin on the ropes. Though of course the Sharapova v Mauresmo semi was a disgrace, even if it did get to three sets. Hingis slumping to defeat also didn't help matters.

Even though Sharapova played about as well as I'd ever seen her in the title match (she also shrieked much less than usual, interestingly), Henin was too tentative and went out too tamely to make it a memorable final, so I agree in that respect.

Well as you mentioned there were some good stories, with but Henin being a bit of a flop in the final and Hingis, Momo and Serena flopping to certain extent, I just feel it was a USO that could've been rather than what was...if you see what I mean :)

I may have slightly over-exaggerated its boredom though ;)

The Us Open was a bit dire last year. Justine and Serena were the only shinning stars that Open for me, both produced superlative performances against Davenport and ivanovic respectively. I just feel there was just a lack of good match-ups, and the Sharapova vs Momo semi was just :crazy1:

I never get to see the USO so can't comment but listenign to the radio and seeign the match reports it did not sound scintillating.

Do you reckon Serena will win Wimby this year?

I certainly hope so :D :pray:

I know you'd like to see Amelie defend, but from my point of view, Serena's third Wimbledon is well overdue.

Venus is going for a 4th B)

Well it woudl eb nice for Amelie to defend it but I'd be happy if Serena won provided she thrashed Maria like at the AO and provided some good matches! roflmao

The player I'd like to see win, who deserves i most and has never won, is of course Henin. :)

Well she another one to watch of course. Bit of a damp squib last year though. How do you reckon she'll do thsi year dl?

I want Serena to win her third, then Venus can win her fourth, then Serena can win he 4th to catch up again :P

Bring on the Williams domination at Wimbledon :B&B:

Last year, she started feeling her left wrist injury at Wimby. if she had beaten Jelena, she probably would've been weighed down by injury anyway :(

However, she's so focused at Wimby its scary. She has that look in her eyes which is so intimidating to the players. If venus is playing well and moving well, she's a favourite for the title :D

However, a long way to go yet ;)

P.s I would love another all Williams final :bow:

Serena won't win, she'll be arrested for breaking into a pie van or something ;)

Maria's 2nd wimby is overdue... :P

Why?
:shrug:

Most of their matches have been, well...sh*te TBH :whistle:

The player thats more deserving of that Wimbledon crown is Sanchez-Vicario and since it never happened for her and the fact that she isnt playing anymore,I dont think it will happen for Henin coz I dont think she deserves it!
I think it must go to Venus!

Yeah, but as you say ASV is currently in no position to do anything about it. B) Would have also been good to see Seles take it on the only chance she got, given later events.

But it's a bit silly to say Henin doesn't deserve the only Slam she hasn't won, seeing as she has reached two finals at the All-England Club (taking a set in each). She has the game and ability for it, if she can only keep fit and not succumb to the significance of the moment (as I think she did slightly against Mauresmo). A full-fledged return by the Williams sisters--unfortunately not a sure thing just yet--will however make matters that much more difficult for her.

I'm not sure who I'd like to see take it this year. I'm still consumed by RG and can't even focus that far ahead yet. =P Henin would probably be in my top three though.

Well on current song Serena is likely to put a dent into Henins campaign and Venus isnt far behind given how much she has played lately and is gaining mad form!

Just coz Henin made the final twice doesnt quantify her being more deserving and the same could be said about Sanchez.The difference between the 2 is that Sanchez did more for the game than in her prime than Henin did.All we ever hear about Henin is life issues,excuses why SHE lost,and sicknesses and injuries.While some of them are valid the rest are a bit over dramatised.She is however a great talent and I enjoy watching her game.I just wouldnt enjoy her winning Wimbledon.

Mad form??? I love Venus but winning a few matches against low ranked players is not mad form. Lets hope she pulls a Serena on us though to prove me wrong

Oh, don't get me wrong. I was only responding to the idea that Henin isn't deserving at all, rather than making a comparison. I'd have liked to see ASV win either of her Wimbledon finals as well.

In fact I wish a handful of Graf's 22 titles had gone instead to ASV, Seles, MJF, hey even Hingis or Sabatini in their one-off finals. Just call me a socialist! B) (Obviously Graf deserves them as an all-time great. I jest. Mostly.)

I bet you would! :D It would be quite historic if that happened because the era of those 2 in finals was over a while ago. Guess it all depends on their seedings. I'd be surprised nto to see a Williams in the final.

DN I meant of current players. Yes I liked SV, but I'm not so sure she was an obvious Wimby winner, and nto with Steffi around anyway.

I named Henin because she is a good all court AND all round player, whose game is much better suited to grass than most. And last year the title could have easily been hers.

Why?

They're so false their finals - I reckon they have a pillow fight in the dressing room before hand and the winner of that wins the match too :whistle:

Mind she's a miserable cow too roflmao

:wacko: Rezzai completely ate sharapova on the clay...... now if that is not an Omen for the Garros I don't know what else is.........

please don't tell me it will be 2006 all over again.... :doh: