'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAFAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMG/8QAFAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABv/aAAwDAQACEAMQAAAAhpw8o//EACAQAAIBBAEFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEDBAACBREGBxITIzH/2gAIAQEAAT8AznUac6PzBrkFsZWvChjrvWDsXDdYLkLpmEx8kxY1hdHWzt1cdbtB+k1//8QAGBEAAwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDAGH/2gAIAQIBAT8AuiiQPd//xAAaEQABBQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAIEEhNi/9oACAEDAQE/AIrjpXkL/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Maria Sharapova stated during the 2007 French Open that she felt like a cow on ice while playing on clay.
The Russian made her Roland Garros debut in 2003 as a qualifier, and suffered a 6-3, 6-3 defeat to Spain's Magui Serna in the opening round. She then reached the quarterfinals of the claycourt Major in 2004 and 2005 before enduring a fourth-round exit in 2006.
Sharapova entered the 2007 French Open seeded second, after missing most of the claycourt season due to a shoulder injury. The Russian started the tournament with a 6-3, 7-6(4) win over Emilie Loit and followed it up with a 6-2, 6-1 triumph over Jill Craybas to book her spot in the third round.
After the match against Craybas, Sharapova said that she was still feeling a significant amount of pain in her shoulder and that she found it difficult to move it up and down. The-then 20-year-old also said that she felt like a cow on ice, especially on clay, where she didn't play too often during the year. Sharapova added that playing on the surface was not natural for her.
"(My shoulder pain) is still there at times. For one week I couldn't do anything. I couldn't really move my shoulder up and down because there was a significant amount of pain. I feel like a cow on ice. Especially on clay. I don't play on clay for the other 10 months of the year. It's not as natural for me," the Russian said.
Maria Sharapova went on to reach the semifinals of the 2007 French Open, doing so for the first time in her career. She eventually lost 6-2, 6-1 to eventual runner-up and future champion Ana Ivanovic.
Maria Sharapova ended up winning the French Open twice
Despite claiming that she felt like a cow on ice on clay, Maria Sharapova's most successful Grand Slam was Roland Garros. The Russian won the French Open twice; it is the only Major she has won more than once.
Her first title at Roland Garros came in 2012 when she beat Sara Errani 6-3, 6-2 in the final. That win saw Sharapova complete the Career Grand Slam, having previously won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open in 2008, 2004 and 2006, respectively.
The Russian's second French Open title came in 2014 when she defeated Simona Halep 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-4 in the final.
Sharapova's last appearance at the claycourt Major came in 2018, where she was seeded 28th. She beat Richel Hogenkamp, Donna Vekic and Karolina Pliskova to reach the fourth round.
The Russian was scheduled to face Serena Williams at that stage but the American withdrew due to a pectoral muscle injury. That gave Sharapova a place in the quarterfinals, where she lost 6-2, 6-1 to Garbine Muguruza.
