Tag Heuer Carrera Calibre 5 Automatic Silver Dial Two-tone Watch WAR215BBD0783

TAG Heuer - Maria Sharapova's Time

WORLDTEMPUS - 24 May 2011
Maria Sharapova is in the "city of light" on a mission. Previously having won Wimbledon (2004), the US Open (2006) and the Australian Open (2008), a title at Roland Garros would give her a career Grand Slam at the age of 24, but the challenge is tough. Clay courts are her worst surface, even though she won the Rome International on that surface just last week. And when she lifted the trophy, the world saw a TAG Heuer Formula 1 Steel & Ceramic Chronograph with black dial on her wrist.
The so-called Siberian Siren, probably the world's most famous female athlete, has been used to fame since she was 14, when she was touted the new Anna Kournikova. Sharapova has done better, amassing 23 singles titles until now and earning something like 25 million euros per year in prize money and - mostly - sponsorship. The Russian's b on-court personality is also evident off-court; she not only wants to know everything about the business side of things, but also intervenes as much as possible. She has an innate sense of fashion and contributes to every single product her sponsors associate with her name. TAG Heuer is no exception.
Right before the start of this year's French Open in Paris, Sharapova gave Worldtempus an exclusive interview at her hotel near Place Vendôme. She arrived without agent or publicist in tow, and candidly discussed everything from the desire for a family to the tough period of time when a serious shoulder injury requiring surgery kept her from playing. She also talked about time management, watches as an ideal gift for men and her passion for fashion.
Miguel Seabra: You are probably the female athlete with the busiest schedule in the world. What is the secret to coping with all the competition and sponsor requirements and not letting it interfere with both your career and personal life?
Maria Sharapova : Well, it's all about priorities and knowing what's important to you. I've been very good in my career about knowing from a very young age that I have a big passion for what I do on the tennis court and I love the fact that I can make myself better at something - it's what drives me, what gets me on the practice court everyday. But I also know that there are a lot of things away from tennis that keep your mind fresh and easy, from little things like having your family with you, laughing, eating good food… it's a balance in your mind. It's impossible to put one hundred per cent of your focus twelve hours a day on tennis and I love trying things, I love business, I love learning and I've been very fortunate to work with incredible brands that have taught me so much - in our meetings I feel like I learn and pick their brains and to me that is better than going to school... it's all about balance and priorities, really.

What about time management? How strict are you with your schedule and when does time go faster and slower for you?
I try to be strict, I like being on time - I like knowing where I'm going to be next. In tennis it is so important: we know when a tournament starts, but we don't know when it's going to end, hopefully it's going to be at the end of the week. Sometimes it is tricky because you can't always plan things - you can't always plan a night with friends when they come to town during a tournament because you're not going to take that time while you're still playing the tournament. On court and while in competition, time goes fast; I feel that time usually goes slower during practice, especially in the off-season when you're training a lot and putting in a lot of hours.
It's a known fact that you have great and constructive interaction with your many sponsors, especially the ones you can contribute to with ideas and design - like TAG Heuer, Nike and Cole-Haan. What is the extent of your contribution?
For me, one of the most important things about working with a company or a brand is my involvement. Ever since I was quite young I always had a vision of working together with people and the reason why I have been able to have such long partnerships is I think that they know that I'm willing to be involved, I'm never just going to put my name on a product, a bottle or a can - it's never a part of who I am, it never has been. From a design perspective, I really love the process; I love sitting in a room with people that just brainstorm something and put it on paper and in a year it's out on the shelf for people to buy - the idea fascinates me, it makes me want to grow in that area, makes me want to be better. I love the creative process, I love making a product better, I love getting a consumer's opinion, I love knowing what people like, what attracts them. Take away my tennis and my name, I just like creating something and seeing why someone appreciates this more than that, why this color, why this season…

Is that because you have an innate sense of fashion?
I love fashion because it's very individual, it's creative, there are so many parts of it from materials to colors to innovative projects - there's so much within an industry that you can do and experiment with. At TAG Heuer I've worked on a couple of projects from eyewear to timepieces, and it's such a great partnership because we feed off of each other's ideas. I am a woman that travels all around the world, I know what a woman wants from her lifestyle and from an athlete's perspective as well. I feel like I bring those ideas to the table. At TAG Heuer, have experience with technology to what's going to be trendier or hip.

What is your relationship with TAG Heuer CEO Jean-Christophe Babin? He told me that even though
TAG Heuer is not as much into tennis as some other brands, the sponsorship is more about you and what you represent as a female athlete. He thinks highly of you.
Jean-Christophe does have a lot of energy; I've had a really great relationship with him for many years. When we got together for the first time, I remember he was really warm and passionate about tennis itself but also because he felt like I had so much energy in the sport and he said that it was incredible that I was the inspiration for so many women. Those words from someone so big within a brand are really amazing - I don't see him too often, but when I do… he sometimes comes across as a very tough and strict person, so I always try to just punch him on the side and have a good joke with him. We have a good relationship.

I've seen your father wearing a Monaco and your former coach Michael Joyce with an Autavia reedition. Is a watch the best present you can give a man?
Absolutely! A good watch is a collectible piece you can have for a lifetime. It's not something that goes out of style in a couple of months or a year. I feel TAG Heuer timepieces are ones that you wear today, you wear in a month, you put away for a while after wearing it every single day and a month later you go back to it and realize how special it is. And every Christmas I get a few e-mails, a few phone calls and a few requests for a few watches from different areas in my team - and I try to accommodate that because I know that there's not greater gift than one that people wear a lot. A watch just can never go wrong!