PARIS—Reigning Roland Garros champion Maria Sharapova reflects on what it feels like to defend her title. It is only the third time that the four-time Grand Slam champion has attempted to defend a major title, as shoulder surgery prevented her from defending her 2008 Australian Open championship.
“It feels different because a year goes by,” she said. “And this morning I went to the park a little early because I knew I had a long day. I was just sitting there and I remember myself sitting in the same position last year, thinking of where you were last year in your life and your career. And obviously you think back to those moments and you go through the changes and the additions and the minuses and all the things you have in your life, and at the end of the day I’m still doing the same thing. And I love it just as much, which puts a big smile on my face.
“You look at the playground in the park, and then four hours later you’re going to be on one of the center courts, going to be playing in front of thousands of people. That just still gets me really excited.”