Russian star says red carpet gives her the willies
By Nick Georgandis

If you gave Maria Sharapova the choice of staring down an all-time legend like Martina Navratilova or Steffi Graf, or walking down the red carpet in front of the paparazzi, you'd be surprised what spooks her more.

"There is nothing more mortifying than the red carpet," Sharapova said recently when discussing her life off the court.

Since bursting on the scene and winning Wimbledon in 2003, Sharapova has been one of the most photographed female athletes in the world, with a slew of endorsements ranging from cameras to cars to jewelery to perfume.

But despite all that exposure, Sharapova much prefers the court to having to get all dolled up to strut her stuff in public.

“It’s - I don’t want to say fake, but - it’s one big illusion, to be honest,” Sharapova said. “The things you see on a red carpet, everything is perfect, the image of a person there dressed beautifully with hair and makeup and wonderful styling. I come home an hour later and I take everything off, and, you know - ‘Where did all that glamour go?'"