Russia's Maria Sharapova has warned her rivals she has not peaked yet, despite dominating this year's Australian Open to win her third Grand Slam title.
MELBOURNE: Russia's Maria Sharapova has warned her rivals she has not peaked yet, despite dominating this year's Australian Open to win her third Grand Slam title.
The 20-year-old, who did not drop a set at the season-opening Grand Slam and beat three of the top four players in the world on her way to the title, said her body was becoming stronger.
"I know I've already won three Grand Glams and I know I keep saying this, but I don't think I'm at the peak of my career yet," Sharapova said after her win.
"I don't think my body has 100 percent developed into its own. I've got many more things to learn in my tennis and many things to build and improve."
And after handing world number one Justine Henin one of the worst defeats of her career at Melbourne Park, Sharapova warned the reigning French Open champion that she was coming to get her at Roland Garros.
The French Open is now the only the only major to elude the Russian pin-up after her Australian success, but she reached the semi-final for the first time last year and she was becoming better-suited to playing on clay.
"The French Open is probably going to be one of the biggest challenges of my career, but I love those challenges," she said.
"That's why I play tennis, to go out there in big moments and challenge myself. I think I have a great opportunity to do it. "I'm doing better and better (on clay) and I'm starting to feel like I belong out there at times.
"I'm feeling my ground better on the clay and my body's developing. I'm feeling stronger and physically fitter - I'm able to play longer matches and, I'm better mentally going into the match.
"I know that I can withstand whatever amount of time is required against Justine or whoever."
A win in Paris would put Sharapova in a elite group of women who have won all four Grand Slams in the Open-era -- Margaret Court, Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Billie Jean King and Serena Williams.
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