Russian tennis ace Maria Sharapova admits that the nature of her profession influences her personality
Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova says she has been inspired by Billie Jean King's story to change her ice queen act and be a positive influence for younger players. She admits her demeanour may have been selfish in the past, but says that could change after being invited by King to the premier of the Battle of the Sexes movie. "Billie Jean invited me to the opening in LA. I went to see it. I enjoyed it," Sharapova said at the Australian Open yesterday. "She taught me that my example ultimately is an example for the generation to come."
Former Australian player Jelena Dokic claimed in a newspaper column yesterday that Sharapova had no friends on tour, spoke little to younger players and her doping ban would not have increased her popularity in the locker room. "I think I realised that. Tennis is a very selfish sport. You have a team around you that do everything just for you to win. And although that's what it takes to be a champion, there's also a lot more to it, a lot of things that we have to think about that are not just about ourselves," said Sharapova.
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