I took a big gamble when I emigrated from Russia to Florida all those years ago. I knew that my success as a tennis player depended on how much I wanted to learn. But it was incredibly hard for my father and I had to leave my mother behind in Siberia. Tennis is such a broad subject when it comes to ability and emotions, and I was only truly happy when my family were reunited.
I’ve become a real beach girl. I come from a very cold place and one of the first things I loved about moving to Florida was being able to play tennis in the warm sunshine. I spend on average two months a year in my beautiful house there. I also have a place by the beach in Los Angeles where I mostly live. I travel so much but LA is where I can truly relax. Venice Beach, Malibu and Manhattan Beach are my favourite places to hang out when I’m there.
London is second to none – culturally speaking. I love its historic buildings, and my favourite thing is to simply walk down the street and watch people go by.
In Russia, buying designer fashion is a bigger deal than having a nice house. And did you know that Vogue magazine in Moscow now has 600 pages? Life is a little different in Siberia.
The world is getting smaller. When the tsunami happened and so many people died, it was a great shock to me. It inspired me to start my own charities in case something similar happens in the future.
The Great Wall of China is amazing. But I didn’t realise that there were so many steps. It turned into a very long walk.
I’m getting more and more into fashion, so it’s great to stay in Wimbledon village when the Championships are on. I love to go shopping in the boutiques along the high street.
You can’t keep us Russians away from space travel for long. I joke with my friends that that’s why I drive a Range Rover. It is rather like a space shuttle, looking down from above on all the other traffic.
Interview by Andrew Threlfall
