For Heather Watson, the realisation that her sport is taking her seriously may well have come when she was in 'hair and make-up', getting ready to go to a party at an art-deco hotel on Miami's South Beach, where Maria Sharapova would introduce her as one of the bright young things of women's tennis.
"I've noticed the progress that Heather has been making as she goes from the juniors to the seniors – this is an exciting time for her," Maria Sharapova said of the teenager from the Channel Islands.
No one in tennis knows more about fame, launch parties, photo-shoots and the dry ice of celebrity than Sharapova. She said that it could do Watson a lot of good that she has been selected as one of six emerging players in the women's game and will be part of an online campaign which will see the Briton interact with the worlds of fashion, music, and art, plus other showbusiness types.
"If Heather carries on doing well, there's going to be a lot more attention on her, and so this programme could help her to feel more comfortable in front of the camera," said Sharapova.
Watson's experiences – she hopes that this will allow her to meet the actors Johnny Depp and Jim Carrey – will be shown on YouTube and also posted on Facebook.
A financial prize awaits Watson, if she proves to be more popular online than America's Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Frenchwoman Alize Cornet, Germany's Sabine Lisicki, Romania's Sorana Cirstea and Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova.
The players have the opportunity to promote the sport and to promote themselves. "I just wish there had been a programme like this when I was 16 or 17 and just starting out on the tour, as it's a great way of taking fans behind the scenes and showing them a different side to your personality," said Sharapova, an ambassador for the 'Sony Ericsson Xperia Hot Shots'.
"A couple of years ago, when there was this craze for social media, I was a bit scared of it at first, as I thought it was invasive, with everyone leaving their photos and their ideas and their thoughts online, but I get it now. I use Facebook like everyone else, posting pictures, sending private messages and looking at other people's pages."
Watson, who was beaten in straight sets by Japan's Ayumi Morita in the Miami Open, was pleased to have been asked. "People are used to seeing me on court, running around and sweating, so it's going to be good to show the other side of me when I've had my hair done and when I've got my make-up on," she said.
"A couple of years ago, when there was this craze for social media, I was a bit scared of it at first, as I thought it was invasive, with everyone leaving their photos and their ideas and their thoughts online, but I get it now. I use Facebook like everyone else, posting pictures, sending private messages and looking at other people's pages."
Watson, who was beaten in straight sets by Japan's Ayumi Morita in the Miami Open, was pleased to have been asked. "People are used to seeing me on court, running around and sweating, so it's going to be good to show the other side of me when I've had my hair done and when I've got my make-up on," she said.
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