By growing up at a center for people with special needs, I learned to always fight hard to achieve what I want. In this regard, I was incredibly lucky.

As a child, I was lucky to have the support of my parents because starting a tennis career is a very expensive adventure.

I was a little bit lost in my head after winning a Grand Slam. You're like: 'So what's the next goal? What do you want now? Where do you want to be? It's not a problem if you lose.'

Stress is part of your career. You have to accept it and deal with it because there is a lot of emotion in tennis.

Athletes can not look the same and be great in their individual sport. The example I like to use is Gabby Douglas. She could not flip in the air if she was built like me, but then Gabby Douglas couldn't throw the shot put. I was built like this because I was made to throw the shot put.

I think the whole boycott thing was a bit too much. It's because we're accomplished so much in women's tennis in the last two, three years. We deserve something better.

My good health, coupled with joy of tobogganing and my desire to be the best, has helped me stay in professional sport for so long.

I have strong interests in supporting sport, primarily football, and also in developing cultural relationships within national communities and their diasporas, with special reference to Ethiopia.