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That toughness runs through Maria even today. It was the key to her bagging
the women’s singles crown at Wimbledon in 2004 and to her meteoric rise to
the world number one spot the following year.

Bagging: winning
Meteoric: very rapid
Maria retains her determination till present day. This determination led her to
grab the women’s singles trophy at the Wimbledon Championship in 2004,
followed by the rapid climb to the top position in 2005.

While her journey from the frozen
plains of Siberia to the summit of
women’s tennis has touched the
hearts of tennis fans, for the
youngster herself there appears to
be no room for sentiment. The
straight looks and the answers she
gives when asked about her
ambition make it amply clear that
she considers the sacrifices were
worth it. “I am very, very competitive.
I work hard at what I do. It’s my job.”
This is her mantra for success.
Sentiment: emotional feeling

Ambition: goal, aim
Amply: plentifully

Tennis fans feel emotional to know
about Maria’s journey from the frozen region of Siberia but she is not moved
by it. She gives straight answers when questioned about her aims which imply
that she accepts that the hurdles and challenges she faced were worth the
result that she got. She adds that she is competitive and works hard as she
considers it to be a part of her work. This is Maria’s secret for success.

Though Maria Sharapova speaks with a pronounced American accent, she
proudly parades her Russian nationality. Clearing all doubts, she says, “I’m
Russian. It’s true that the U.S. is a big part of my life. But I have Russian
citizenship. My blood is totally Russian. I will play the Olympics for Russia if
they want me.”

Parades: displays

Maria’s speech has an American accent but she is proud to be a Russian. She
says that USA is a big part of her life because she trained there but in the core
of her heart, she is a Russian. She holds the citizenship of Russia, her
ancestors are Russians and she is willing to represent Russia at the Olympics
too.