Maria Sharapova's new signature move

Maria Sharapova plays Sara Errani in the Sony Open quarterfinals on Wednesday. (Mark J. Terrill/AP) I suppose if you're Maria Sharapova, you're probably sick
Maria Sharapova's new signature move
Maria Sharapova's new signature move /

Maria Sharapova plays Sara Errani in the Sony Open quarterfinals on Wednesday. (Mark J. Terrill/AP)

Maria Sharapova

I suppose if you're Maria Sharapova, you're probably sick of your own signature. That would explain her new move of avoiding her own signature during the perfunctory post-match camera signing. She now inks cryptic messages that leave many scratching their heads.

"I just got bored with signing my name all the time," Sharapova said in Indian Wells, where she debuted her new signing technique.

Stephens' struggles since Australian Open

Incidentally, Sharapova hasn't lost  a match since she started writing her secret messages on the cameras, which she says are inside jokes among a few select friends.

Here's a collection of the nine messages she's signed so far. Will she get a 10th in Miami? She plays Sara Errani in the quarterfinals Wednesday.

Screencap from YouTube

Screencap from YouTube

Sharapova debuted her new signature style with "Tweet Me!" after her opening-round win over Francesca Schiavone in Indian Wells.

Screencap from YouTube

Screencap from YouTube

"Who knows?" she asked, after beating Carla Suarez Navarro in the third round of Indian Wells. Asked to explain her signature, Sharapova declined. "Yeah, that's pretty much staying here," she said, pointing to her face.

Screencap via @SharapovaFC_Arg

"Feeling Silly?" What's with all these questions, Maria? It's starting to feel like an interrogation.

Screencap from YouTube

Screencap from YouTube

"Just Kidding" she wrote after besting Sara Errani in a quarterfinal match that finished right before midnight.

Screencap courtesy of @thedoublebagel

After beating Maria Kirilenko in the Indian Wells semifinals, Maria wished us all "Sweet Dreams." Thoughtful!

Screencap via @TennisTV

No mysteries here after she beat Caroline Wozniacki in the Indian Wells final to win her first title of the year. "Champion" it is.

Screencap via @TennisTV

The messages didn't stop when she got to Miami for the Sony Open. Drop a second-set bagel on young Genie Bouchard in her opening round in Miami? "Sweet Nothings."

Screencap via @TennisTV

Brush aside Elena Vesnina in the third round of Miami? "Hottie!"

Screencap from @TennisTV

pova-zako

Sharapova writes "The Sweetest Dreams" after beating Klara Zakopalova in the fourth round.

PHOTOS: Djokovic, Panettiere, McIlroy, Wozniacki, Klitschko at Heat game


Published
Courtney Nguyen
COURTNEY NGUYEN

Contributor, SI.com Nguyen is a freelance writer for SI.com, providing full coverage of professional tennis both on and off the court. Her content has become a must-read for fans and insiders to stay up-to-date with a sport that rarely rests. She has appeared on radio and TV talk shows all over the world and is one of the co-hosts of No Challenges Remaining, a weekly podcast available on iTunes. Nguyen graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 1999 and received a law degree from the University of California, Davis in 2002. She lives in the Bay Area.