PARIS, (Reuters) – Perched at the top of women’s tennis, Dinara Safina is no longer just her brother Marat’s little sister.
The 23-year-old Russian has long lived in the shadow of Marat Safin, who topped the men’s rankings in 2000 and has two grand slam titles to his name.
Safin, however, is to retire at the end of the year and Safina will then be the only member of the family still playing professional tennis.
“I guess there will be less questions about my brother, or maybe more because people will want to know what he will be doing with his life,” Safina told Reuters in an interview before the French Open on Saturday.
Safina will begin her quest for a maiden grand slam title on Monday against Britain’s Anne Keothavong under the eyes of Marat, who will play France’s Alexandre Sidorenko on Sunday at his last French Open.
She believes she has gained the respect of her brother, who used to tell her to practice half an hour a day.
“I became more mature, he sees me more like a person, not like a little child. I think that he sees me more like a woman now,” the Muscovite said.
The woman she has become has, however, still has some problems staying focused on court.
In last year’s French Open, she saved match points before beating then world number one Maria Sharapova in the fourth round.
Safina repeated the feat in her quarter-final against Elena Dementieva, eventually bowing out in the final against Serb Ana Ivanovic.
She does not want to look back on it, preferring to stay focused on her first round match with Keothavong.
“I got here right after Sunday’s (Madrid) final,” said Safina, who won the Madrid and Rome clay court tournaments before arriving in Paris.
“I cannot think like that, looking back to last year. I start on Monday, I will think about my match tomorrow, that’s it.”
The French Open, to which she brings a 14-1 record on clay this season, looks like her best chance for a first grand slam trophy.
“I’m really looking forward to it, but when it will come, I don’t know,” said Safina.
“God knows. Maybe here. Maybe. But I will do my best.”
