Maybe if I was British, a semi-final would be incredible. I'd be on the front page of the paper.

My parents had a normal life in Russia and they could have easily kept living a normal life, working and raising a child in Russia.

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.

Within a few years the name 'Maria Sharapova' will be a brand as universally recognized as Calvin Klein, BMW and Rolex.

I never really had an idol.

That's why we have journalists, for stats.

Of course, everyone knows my story of being born in Russia and moving to the United States at 7. For a few years people would say, 'Well, she's living in the United States, but she's Russian.'