Maria on quest to give back to others

Tennis star Maria Sharapova is given a painting of her dog by visiting children from Chernobyl at the Acura Classic tennis tournament in Carlsbad, California on July 30. The children were visiting California as part of the Children of Chernobyl Foundation.

The children who clustered around Sharapova yesterday had questions for her they had prepared. One little girl asked in Russian how to prepare for a career. Sharapova advised her, also in Russian, that being self-assured is very important.

Sharapova also was asked how many children she intends to have. She laughed. Earlier, she had explained her involvement with the Chernobyl incident.

“On the court, I'm an athlete,” she said. “I love to win; I love to compete. My career has brought me fame and money, but those closest to my heart are people that are less fortunate. This is a way for me to give back to something I'm very close to.”