By Erik Gudris | Thursday, February 6, 2014
"There's no place like home."
We're guessing that's what Maria Sharapova will be saying often over the next few weeks.
The Russian superstar is already making her presence felt at this year's Winter Olympics in her hometown of Sochi, Russia. With the opening ceremonies set to kick off on Friday, Sharapova is already busy promoting the Games.
Earlier in the week, she appeared at an event sponsored by Nike where her childhood tennis courts were re-opened after a refurbishment. She also took part in a launch of her candy line, Sugarpova. Sharapova posted this picture on Twitter of her taking in early rounds of the ice skating competition.
While she will likely make appearances at other events, she won't have much time to spectate. Sharapova is working for the NBC network where she will present on-air reports about life in Sochi. Having won a silver medal in the 2012 Summer Games, Sharapova knows all about competing in the Olympics.
As a Games Ambassador for Sochi, Sharapova will seek to promote the city. That includes addressing recent concerns about security for both athletes and fans. "Once I arrived here, I knew that all the athletes will feel extremely safe," Sharapova told CNN.com in a recent interview.
"I certainly had my doubts before, because I've been reading a lot about the city itself. Over the last few months I've been reading a lot of the media and watching television, but now I've seen how everything has come together."
While she's at the Games, expect more candid pictures on her Twitter account like these taken just a few days ago.