G.D.

GOENKA PUBLIC SCHOOL, VASANT KUNJ

Grade IX English

Maria Sharapova- Q & A

Points of
Santosh Yadav Maria Sharapova
Comparison/Contrast

- She was born in the small village of

1. Their humble
Joniyawas of Rewari District in - She was born in Siberia.
beginning
Haryana.

- It was in line with the

prevailing custom in the family,
Santosh had to make do with the - She was packed off to train in the
local village school. United States.
2. Their parents’ - At sixteen, most of the girls in her - Trip to Florida with her father, Yuri
village used to get married. Santosh launched her on the path to success
approach was also under pressure from her and stardom where she had to
parents to do the same. separate form her darling mother for
- Her parents refused to pay for her 2 years.
education initially when she moved - Her father worked as much as he
to Delhi. could to keep her tennis-training
- Her father slowly got used to her going.
kind of thinking and gave in to her
rational demands.
 - Instead of letting the elder pupils in
tennis training who used to wake her
up at odd hours to tidy up the room,
- Wishing always to study 'a bit more' depress her, she became more quietly
3. Their will power - Her urge for more education, hence determined and mentally tough as
she left home and got herself enrolled she knew she had to make her
and strong desire in a school in Delhi. parents proud.
- She saved money and enrolled in a - She had an unwavering desire to
to succeed course at Uttarkashi’s Nehru Institute succeed and readiness to sacrifice
of Mountaineering.” anything, even if it meant leaving her
- Instead of going back home, she beloved country and parents to work
headed straight for the training. hard in the U.S.
- The most important thing is to
become number one in the world.
That’s the dream that kept her going.
- She began living life on her own
terms from the start, like wearing
shorts instead of traditional dresses,
dressing up according to her own
- She learnt how to take care of
comfort.
herself when she was just 9 years old
4. Evidence of their - From the very beginning she was
and away from her parents and home
determined that if she chose a correct
country.
mental toughness and rational path, the others around
She never thought of quitting
her had to change, and not her.
because she knew what she wanted.
- She politely informed her parents of
- She would have put up with much
her plans to earn money by working
more humiliation and insults than
part-time to pay her school fees when
that to steadfastly pursue her dream.
initially they refused to.
- She went on an expedition every
year, climbed the Everest twice and
set a record.
-“Then I unfurled the Indian tricolour “I’m Russian. It’s true that the U.S. is

5. Their patriotism and held it aloft on the roof of the a big part of my life. But I have

world. The feeling is indescribable. Russian citizenship. My blood is

The Indian flag was flying on top of totally Russian. I will play the
 the world. It was truly a spiritual Olympics for Russia if they want

moment. I felt proud as an Indian.” me.”

Q2. How did Maria’s father contribute to the success of Maria?

Ans. Maria was a Russian girl. Her father, Yuri contributed significantly in
shaping her future. He managed her training in the United States. He took her
from Russia to Florida in the United States, away from her mother. He worked
hard to earn money to make Maria continue her tennis training.
Q3. How did Maria react to humiliation and insults she faced during her
training at Florida, the United States?

Ans. Maria was the youngest trainee. She was just nine years old. She would go
to her bed at 8 p.m., but her seniors would return at 11 p.m. They used to wake
her up and force her to do their work. She had to clean the room for them. She
was frequently ill-treated and humiliated by them. But she was never depressed.
She became more determined and mentally tough. She learnt how to adjust
herself in an adverse situation because when you have nothing and you come
from nothing, the hunger to achieve and become something is more present than
ever.

Q4. What was the secret of Maria’s success?

Ans. Strong determination and mental toughness were the secret of Maria’s
success. She was highly competitive and worked hard at whatever she did. She
was never depressed. All her adverse conditions made her more alert and
mentally sound.

Her constant hardwork which was her mantra for success took her further in her
career. She knew she had to be on top, be no.1 no matter what, so she kept
working at it and never gave up. She was in competition with herself. She
knows that there is no other path to success apart from strong will and
determination.
Q5. Describe Maria Sharapova’s rapid ascent to number one position in
tennis. What do you learn from her life?

Ans. Maria Sharapova is a Russian. She belonged to a poor family of Siberia.

She was just nine years old when her father took her to Florida for training in
tennis. Her mother could not come with her because of some visa problems. She
was alone. She shared her room with other pupils who were older to her. She
was the only non-American student and had to bear the insults and humiliations.

She was never depressed but all the more determined. Her mental toughness and
physical strength helped her reach the top at the age of eighteen. Maria
Sharapova is an inspiring personality. She teaches us that success comes with
sacrifices and hard work. If one is ready to sacrifice the luxuries of life in the
beginning, one is sure to reap the fruit of hard work. Had she not sacrificed the
pleasure of living with her family, she would not have succeeded in her life.