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Maria Sharapova Serves Up Top Spin 3 (PS3)

Tennis' most electrifying female athlete talks about the French Open and video games.

by Chris Buffa on Friday, March 28, 2008

2K Sports' latest tennis game, Top Spin 3 features scores of famous pros, including Roger Federer, James Blake and one of the world's most recognizable female athletes, Maria Sharapova. Hot off her 2008 Australian Open women's singles victory over Ana Ivanovic, Maria showed up at the Top Spin 3 event to discuss games, her career and the athletes she admires.

You mentioned on your site that you want to do doubles with Orlando Bloom. What about him do you like?

I've liked him a lot in a few movies and I actually got to meet him at a Vanity Fair party a year and a half ago. That was really fun. Years ago, I thought he was really attractive, of course, that's probably the main reason why. And then I met him and he was really sweet and polite and English.

Maria fired up the Wii and took on with fellow tennis pro, James Blake.

Have you actually played the game yet? What are your opinions?

[Editor's note: We think Sharapova thought the journalist asked her about Wii]

I have. You know what's funny, it was at a house I stayed at during Wimbledon last year. There were two kids in the household and they left it there. That was the first time I got my hands on it and played it. I guess they made tennis racquets as well. I wasn't very good. But it's really fun. The best part about it is that it's active. You're not just sitting on a chair pressing buttons. You're actually in motion and you're controlling your motion, which I think is the coolest thing. It gets kids to move.

Recently a nine-year old in Australia was kicked out of a tennis club for grunting like you. What was your reaction to that?

I did hear about that, but I actually heard a different side to the story. I heard someone told her to be quieter on the other side, and I think the story kind of got turned around. I definitely hope that doesn't discourage her from playing the sport. That would obviously be very awkward.

So in Top Spin you're rated for different attributes for tennis players, like various parts of their game. What do you think about the attributes they've given to your character?

Well I'm a pretty powerful player, so I want the ball to go through the court faster, so hopefully the other person doesn't have enough time to run over and get it.

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MIAMI - MARCH 27: Actress Camilla Belle and Maria Sharapova of Russia visit patients at the Baptist Children's Hospital on March 27, 2008 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images for WTA)
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MIAMI - MARCH 27: Actress Camilla Belle and Maria Sharapova of Russia visit patients at the Baptist Children's Hospital on March 27, 2008 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images for WTA)
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MIAMI - MARCH 27: Actress Camilla Belle and Maria Sharapova of Russia visit patients at the Baptist Children's Hospital on March 27, 2008 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images for WTA)
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MIAMI - MARCH 27: Actress Camilla Belle and Maria Sharapova of Russia visit patients at the Baptist Children's Hospital on March 27, 2008 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images for WTA)
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MIAMI - MARCH 27: Actress Camilla Belle (L) and Maria Sharapova of Russia visit pateints at the Baptist Children's Hospital on March 27, 2008 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images for WTA)
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MIAMI, FL - MARCH 26: (L-R) Nino Treusch, Ricardo Gaibor, Maria Sharapova, Wanda Suarez and Oscar Chequer during the Sony Ericsson Kickoff Party for the Sony Ericsson Open on March 26, 2008 at the Opium Garden in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)
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KEY BISCAYNE, FL - MARCH 26: Maria Sharapova of Russia poses with Willis McGahee of the Baltimore Ravens during day three of the Sony Ericsson Open at the Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 26, 2008 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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Maria Sharapova signs autographs at the Sony Ericsson Open tennis tournament in Key Biscayne, Fla. Wednesday, March 26, 2008. Sharapova withdrew from the tournament due to a shoulder injury. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
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KEY BISCAYNE, FL - MARCH 26: Maria Sharapova of Russia signs autographs during day three of the Sony Ericsson Open at the Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 26, 2008 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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KEY BISCAYNE, FL - MARCH 26: Maria Sharapova of Russia signs autographs during day three of the Sony Ericsson Open at the Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 26, 2008 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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