Elena Dementieva is the featured cover story for Canada's street-style mag PEACE this month. The Russian, who most recently won the Tier 1 Kremlin Cup with a shocking win (her first) over Serena Williams, looks stunning in the photo spread and has much to say about her tennis, life on the WTA Tour, her recent injury-induced layoff, fashion, and her most infamous stroke: the side-armed serve.
You had a set-back this year. Can you tell us about the injury?
"Well, I had a very weird injury ‘cause I started to work with a new physician. After three weeks I realized that I had three broken ribs and I was off for, like, seven weeks. That was really depressing, probably because there is not much you can do with broken ribs. You just have to wait, just take some time to recover. So I missed popular tournaments, big tournaments. It was tough to come back, to get your confidence back and play well again."
"Well, I had a very weird injury ‘cause I started to work with a new physician. After three weeks I realized that I had three broken ribs and I was off for, like, seven weeks. That was really depressing, probably because there is not much you can do with broken ribs. You just have to wait, just take some time to recover. So I missed popular tournaments, big tournaments. It was tough to come back, to get your confidence back and play well again."
Do you hold any resentment towards your trainer for continuing to push you forward while you were injured?
"I think that he was just not a very professional guy. I didn’t know what he was doing. I was just according to my special needs. I was doing that because he’s very famous in Moscow. Lots of different good athletes are working with him. Even with my experience, it didn’t stop them from working with him."
"I think that he was just not a very professional guy. I didn’t know what he was doing. I was just according to my special needs. I was doing that because he’s very famous in Moscow. Lots of different good athletes are working with him. Even with my experience, it didn’t stop them from working with him."
When you are traveling do you have a favourite city where you actually get to experience the art, food or shopping and not just the tennis?
"For shopping, the best place would be New York, in Manhattan. There are a lot of nice places, like Melbourne, and Sweden, because I like nature and there are lots of things to see."
"For shopping, the best place would be New York, in Manhattan. There are a lot of nice places, like Melbourne, and Sweden, because I like nature and there are lots of things to see."
What’s the hardest thing about what you do?
"To travel all the time. To be away from your family, that’s the most difficult. But that’s just part of the job that I have to do."
"To travel all the time. To be away from your family, that’s the most difficult. But that’s just part of the job that I have to do."
If you weren’t a tennis player, what do you think you would do?
"I don’t know. It’s hard to say because my grandmother is a doctor and my uncle is a doctor. They always wanted me to go the medicine university to be a doctor. So maybe I would be one."
"I don’t know. It’s hard to say because my grandmother is a doctor and my uncle is a doctor. They always wanted me to go the medicine university to be a doctor. So maybe I would be one."
Are you a fashionista?
"I’m not too crazy about it. I think a person has to be more beautiful inside than outside, I think it’s more important. But, yeah, as a girl I like to go shopping. I like to dress well, but I don’t go too crazy about it."
"I’m not too crazy about it. I think a person has to be more beautiful inside than outside, I think it’s more important. But, yeah, as a girl I like to go shopping. I like to dress well, but I don’t go too crazy about it."
What’s the most awkward question you get asked? Is it about your serve?
"People actually think I hate answering it, but it’s okay with me. I know it’s not perfect and I know most of the people don’t understand how come it’s still not perfect for so many years. I’m also surprised. But it’s a small process. Every time they ask me, I just say that it’s getting better. And it is getting better. It just takes some time."
(images via PEACE magazine,dementieva.ru)
"People actually think I hate answering it, but it’s okay with me. I know it’s not perfect and I know most of the people don’t understand how come it’s still not perfect for so many years. I’m also surprised. But it’s a small process. Every time they ask me, I just say that it’s getting better. And it is getting better. It just takes some time."
(images via PEACE magazine,dementieva.ru)
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