SINGAPORE — One thing I’ve noticed from my first few days in Singapore: Maria Sharapova is in a good mood.
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You can always tell how much a player loves the sport when you see how excited they are to get back on the court after a lengthy injury layoff. And in Sharapova’s case, the Russian has played just one unfinished match between Wimbledon early July and now and is clearly happy to be back.
She had showed up a bit late for her pre-event press conference and walked into the room to find her agent Max Eisenbud sat in her chair, pretending to be addressing the media in her absence. We asked him what the worst part of his job was and he jokingly said having to wait for Sharapova all the time.
The reaction on her face as she walked in moments later was priceless. He told her she was late. Her response? “I had to iron my shirt.”
Who knew Sharapova did her own ironing?
She then told Eisenbud: “Well maybe if you got me an assistant I wouldn’t be late next time.”
Surely thousands would sign up for that job any time. On second thought…Maybe not.
After her gruelling three-set win over Agnieszka Radwanska on opening day, Sharapova joked that she was too scared to “open up her bun” because she knew her hair was a “disaster” after that epic fight.
In the same interview, she also told us about her awkward handshake with Li Na before the match and made a Paulo Coelho reference.
Fun night with @TAGHeuer on the first floating tennis court in #Singapore. pic.twitter.com/hT3qmxx6pS
— Maria Sharapova (@MariaSharapova) October 23, 2015
“I hadn’t seen Li Na until I walked to the net. I was so surprised to see her and (WTA CEO) Steve Simon. I don’t know. I gave her a handshake. That was weird,” she laughed. “She’s across the net. I should have given her a hug, but it ended up being a handshake. That was awkward.”
A journalist asked Sharapova about on-court coaching, which is allowed on the WTA but not the ATP nor at the grand slams. Her coach Sven Groeneveld paid her a visit during her tussle with Radwanska and Sharapova says it clearly paid off.
“He was on fire today. He like pulled out a Paulo Coelho quote or something. Stop with the frustration and go with determination. I was like ‘all right buddy, slow down’. I usually don’t laugh in those moments, but that was a moment where I was like ‘okay, Sven’,” she said giggling.
I hope this bubbly Maria sticks around for a long time because her pressers have been just pure gold.
