Australian Open winner Maria Sharapova is the ‘Golden Girl’ of tennis with a list of sponsors as long as your arm, and she will be back in Dubai next month to try and add the 2008 Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships title to her ever-growing list of achievements.

The glamorous Russian’s earnings from Sony Ericsson, Colgate, Gatorade, Canon, Landrover, Nike, Parlux Fragrances, Prince, Samantha Thavasa, TagHeuer and Tropicana easily eclipse her on-court earnings, but it is tennis that is always uppermost in her mind. And despite her fame and fortune, the 20-year-old, who defeated Serbian Ana Ivanovic 7-5 6-3 to win the Australian Open, still keeps her feet on the ground.

Commitments to sponsors as well as tournaments means that free time for her is as precious as gold dust. But late last year she received an opportunity, unwelcome though it was, to lead something like a normal life for a few weeks when she needed to rest a painful shoulder injury.

“I was just able to do things,” she said. “I had a week or two when I had a friend´s birthday somewhere. I could fly and actually see her instead of missing someone´s birthday, or spend time with the people that I love instead of having them fly to me. I could actually go and see them and support their careers, as well, and just take that opportunity just to live a normal life. I probably spent a little more money on both of my houses than I would like to, because I had a lot of that free time. I wish I could have spent that time on the court, to tell you the truth, but on the other hand it was good to experience the other side of my life as well.”
She was able to devote some of her time to furnishing her homes, including a fairly recent purchase in California.

“I love design. Probably if I wouldn´t be playing tennis I´d either be in fashion or interior design,” she said. “I love that side of things. The cool thing about travelling is I get to go to places like Bali or Morocco, and my dad goes to Morocco a lot. I always have him bring antique pieces that I mix with early modern pieces to make, you know, the house comfortable. It´s a work in progress, though.

“I´m really into artwork. Modern art, statues. And since I got my house in Manhattan Beach and I didn´t have any furniture in it; that was like my project from the blinds to the security system and everything. That was one big project I wanted to take care of. I´ve been really into art lately. I´m really into modern Californian artists. Ed Moses (the artist, not the swimmer), although I don´t have a piece of his yet. I´m trying to find the perfect one. Chris Gwaltney. Just really cool, modern art. My house is pretty modern.”

Now her shoulder is fully healed Maria is once again devoting all her time to tennis, and she will be one of the top contenders when play gets underway at the Dubai Tennis Stadium. Among those she will challenge for the title are Justine Henin, Serena Williams, Ana Ivanovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Jelea Jankovic.

“Maria Sharapova is one of the world’s most recognisable sporting stars, and it is a delight to welcome her back to Dubai,” said Colm McLoughlin, Managing Director of tournament owners and organisers Dubai Duty Free. “When she was here two years ago she played some exhilarating tennis to reach the final, and it will be interesting to see if she can go one stage further this year and win the title.”

Play at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, which is held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, begins on February 25th 2008 with the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour tournament, and is followed by the ATP event from March 3rd to 8th.