Maria Sharapova has embraced many roles—champion, entrepreneur, candy maven, model, ambassador for several international brands, flag-bearer for the Russian Olympic team—and now she's exploring a new one: Reporter.

Sharapova spent some of her offseason interviewing her family, including her father, mother and grandparents, assembling their stories for her upcoming autobiography. 

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"That's been really interesting and scary at the same time. It's amazing how life goes by, and sometimes to be able to recollect those memories is very interesting," Sharapova said after her Australian Open first-round win. "I've been speaking to my grandparents, my father and my mother a lot, recording the conversations. I feel like a reporter in a way. That's been really interesting. Sometimes I need to stop because I would be going to bed and being like blown away by some of the stories that I hear."

The five-time Grand Slam champion is working with New York-based writer Rich Cohen on her autobiography.

"I'm working with a writer, and I'm writing myself. I think that's one of the reasons it will take a little bit longer because I want to write a lot of it myself," Sharapova said. "I'm working with Rich Cohen, who is a tremendous writer. He's kind of a fly-on-the-wall guy, very discreet, incredible writing. I was in New York working with him for a little bit after Fed Cup. He came up in my off-season to work together a little bit. So, yeah, I have started.

"Going to take my time. Not going to talk about it much just because I want the book to do the talking. But I'm really excited about it. I've always loved to write. Something that's been a passion of mine from a young age. I'll also be sharing some of my journals as a young girl."

Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve