The only shrieking Maria Sharapova wants to hear 10 years from now will be coming from her babies, with the newly-crowned Australian Open champion.
MELBOURNE: The only shrieking Maria Sharapova wants to hear 10 years from now will be coming from her babies, with the newly-crowned Australian Open champion vowing to quit tennis before she hits 30.
The Russian queen of scream is just 20 years old but secured her third Grand Slam at Melbourne Park with a straight sets win over Ana Ivanovic.
US-based Sharapova said she had a deep love of the game but also wanted to have a family and would not stretch out her career for too long.
"No. Definitely not," she replied when asked if she would play on until 2018.
"I hope by that time I'll have a nice husband and a few kids."
Sharapova also ruled out making a comeback as a racquet-wielding tennis mum like Lindsay Davenport, who she beat in the second round on her way to claiming the Australian title.
"I don't think you'll see me back playing, take my word for it," she said.
Sharapova said she felt she had earned the rewards that tennis success had brought, giving her a sense of accomplishment that allowed her to hold her head high when branded a "spoiled brat".
"When I see other 20-year-olds that might be driving in their Range Rover I know that I worked for mine, I have that satisfaction," said the world number five, who picked up a 1.2 million US dollar winners at the Australian Open.
"Sometimes you get those dirty looks, where they're looking at you and thinking 'that spoiled brat, who is that, her father probably bought her a Range Rover'.
"Like 'no honey!' I bought that myself.
"In those moments you feel mature."
Sharapova said she had been forced to grow up quickly after winning Wimbledon as a teenager in 2004.
"Because I achieved success so early in my career by winning Wimbledon at 17, I think it just automatically makes you older because all of a sudden you're a Grand Slam champion," she said.
"You're expected to win more Grand Slams, you're expected to win every tournament you play and it makes you so much more mature."
She said the grind of being on the women's tour also had its downsides, including lengthy enforced separations for her parents Yuri, who accompanies her on tour, and mother Yelena, who is rarely seen at tennis tournaments.
"It's strange because my career, though amazing, has brought us a lot of downfalls," she said.
"My parents don't get to see each other very often. But those are the sacrifices that I and my family have to make. We've been through a much tougher process (than others) with not seeing my mum when I was younger."
Despite the talk of retirement, Sharapova said she retained her passion for tennis.
"To do something that you love to do and being good at it, there's no better gift," she said.
"When I step on the court, it's a place I love to be in and nothing will ever change that
"I forget about past matches, I just draw my attention to the things I want to work on, all those things, positive or negative, they just go away.
"There's a holiday break, Christmas-time, two great days off and then you're back on the court and it's like it never ended.
"When I go on there everything else is gone."
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