By Liza Horan

Sept. 1, New York—A third-round loss at a Grand Slam is sobering for any defending champion. Add to that the downer of being a heavily favored media darling in the light side of the draw. Add to that an overall margin of loss of one point (84-85) in an up-and-down three-setter.
 
Maria Sharapova (left) wore a fittingly glum visage to her post-match interview, answering questions with a dead-eye Dick gaze and monotone cadence. No surprise there—ousted players, regardless of ranking or expectation, are not happy to answer, "What went wrong today?"

The surprise is how little time it took the second seed to emotionally bounce back from the 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 loss to 30th-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland. Not only did the Russian respond graciously and earnestly to reporters' inquiries, but she lightened up quickly and was laughing by the end of the session.

"It's (a) disappointment. There's no happiness, I'll tell you that," Sharapova said. "It's always tough, but especially being the defending champion."

The two-time Grand Slam champion was forthcoming about Radwanska (right), a fresh, fit, upbeat 18-year-old who blushes easily."You got to give her a lot of credit for finishing the match and winning it," Sharapova, 20, said. "A lot of girls in her position—on a big stage in a big stadium against a top player—sometimes get a little nervous. She held on there, and all the credit to her for winning the match."

A seasoned pro at 20
The Sharapova of today was markedly poised, confident and mature; like someone beyond her years. She was fair, not emotional; steady, not insecure; and sincere, not putting on a front or answering a question different than that posed (Martina Hingis and the Williams sisters are adept at that).

Not that she didn't exhibit such qualities before—she is one of the more ingenuous players—yet today she handled herself in a way usually reserved for those who have achieved several major titles.

"Definitely not an easy day at the office for me. I could sit here all day long and come up with excuses and say how bad I played, but at the end of the day my opponent won the match and I lost it. You just have to move on. I have a whole future ahead of me. I'm not going to throw myself a pity party here."

Sharapova's not the first player to respond to a big loss with good nature, but she is unique. Her Wimbledon championship at age 17 catapulted her to become the highest paid female athlete in the world. She is loved by cameras, admired by fans inside and outside sports, and, surely, appreciated by sponsors and tournament directors.

Yet she remains "unaffected" by her superstar status and wholly committed to her craft, playing her best and winning matches.

In the spotlight, yet grounded
Sharapova is single-minded, hard-working and appealing. And she quickly transcended tennis. The combination has never been packaged to this extent in any female athlete. Whatever icing is added to her cake in the form of guest appearances on TV shows, magazine spreads and endorsement deals, her on-court performance is all raw drive.

Her constitution has proven strong, handling the on-court success and extracurriculars with aplomb. She 'gets' her role as an asset to an industry that's now big business.

"Once you get on court, for a tennis player, it is all about the tennis," she said. "You have to realize that people see you as entertainers. When you go to a concert and you see someone perform, you paid your money to see someone perform and see them do what they do best. That's why you spent the amount of money you did on that ticket.

"When (I was) growing up I had no idea what would come with a tennis career. You don't know what's going to come with fame until you actually get there and those things come to you and you actually explore them," Sharapova explained. "But you really don't know until you actually get there. There's a whole other world to it."

It's a world she's comfortable in.

Superstar, role model
Sharapova's roles as professional athlete, the face of many brands, and even role model haven't gone to her head. She doesn't put on heirs, balancing celebrity status with an approachable persona. At a time when other young women reach fame without accomplishment and are role models more for their fashion styling, it's her substance that sets Sharapova apart. She's admired for what she does on court.

While she admits that she doesn't mind being a role model, it's a position she really doesn't understand: "When I was growing up I never really had a role model because I never thought that anyone was perfect. So it's tough to hear when kids do say, 'I want to be like Maria Sharapova. I say, 'No, you don't because I'm not perfect."

Sharapova went on, "You know, I might be good at some things, but I might not be good at other things. You want to strive for the best. You want to try to be the best."

Maybe that's just the message that young admirers need in this celebrity-driven, materialistic era, making Sharapova an ideal role model. She's an asset to the industry on many levels.

Looking forward
For the player, 2007 delivered one singles title for a career total of 16 victories. She's hungry and cautions that "This year is not done. There's no Grand Slam this year, but I still have a few tournaments to play." In January, she'll head Down Under with hopes to win that final match in Melbourne for a first Australian Open title. Between now and then she'll slug it out on the tour and be featured in editorial pieces and advertisements. Sharapova is a presence on and off the court.

"Look, at the end of the day it really is just a tennis match. Some days you win and some days you lose. Some days you lose in the finals and some days you lose in the third round, and some days you lose in the first round," she says, reciting the mantra of a pro athlete. "You just never know how it's going to play out. Sometimes you work really hard for something and you get it when you want it, and sometimes you work really hard and you don't get it. You never know when God's going to bring down those gifts.

"I'm waiting for those Christmas gifts."

An early exit from the U.S. Open means no title, but she has found herself with another gift: Free time in a city she loves. Just in time for Fashion Week.