Kathy:  How are you?

Kathy:  Where were you born?

Varvara:  I was originally born in Uzbekistan, in the city of Tashkent.

Kathy:  Tell me a little bit about your background and how you got started in tennis?

Kathy:  As you look through your career, what would you say are your best moments, and why?

Varvara:  We had a tennis club that was about a five minute walk from my home. So my dad took me there and taught me how to play tennis. Another major factor that played in my involvement in tennis was that when I first visited the club, there was a junior tournament going on. I was watching the finals and I really liked how the girls played and how the audience supported them. I really liked the game in general and was impressed with that. Of course, there were a lot of other things about the game that got my attention as well. Then I saw one of the girls won the tournament, her name is Iroda Tulyaganova. She used to be #15 in the world before she got injured. I asked my dad what they were getting as the prize for winning. He told me that the winners were invited to the Toy store and they got to choose any toys they wanted, as much as they wanted. That was also a big impact for me. Since then I had dreams of winning tournaments and going to the toy store  :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

Kathy:  Oh, going to the toy store and getting as much as you wanted.  I bet that these kids here who play in the juniors would love that. As a matter of fact, it may make them want to work even harder.

Kathy:  What are your goals for the upcoming year?

Kathy:   Do they have many tennis players that have originated from your country?

Varvara:  Yes, we have a lot of tennis players and we had good competition when I was growing up. That played a big role in my tennis, but as I grew older everyone was leaving or stopped playing because of money problems. Now they have only few players and there are some up and coming, but they have a long way to go.

Kathy:  That is a great goal. It is always good to reach to achieve in life and keep on reaching.

Kathy:  This seems to be an ongoing problem with the money issues in tennis. It definitely hindered me and my brother when we played, even though we were two of the best athletes out there. I think that it’s a shame that sometimes some people who are very deserving of it, don’t get sponsors while there are others who do. To go even further, there are some who can afford it and they seem to get everything for free. 

Kathy:  I understand that you have become a Permanent Resident of the U.S., if so, how is living in the U.S. so far?

Varvara:   I try to plan one step at time, as well as for the coming future. I plan big things and then rely on them.  I plan little bricks or little steps, to make the whole picture. That’s my ideal planning.

Varvara:  As soon as I arrived in the United States, I was really amazed at how intelligent and polite people were. It’s really great for me because I like to treat people with respect and also be kind and polite. So I feel like I belonged in this country a long time ago and I love being here. Of course, there are always difficulties, but this is the way life is. So it’s great to be here and represent this country and have a lot of good friends here.

Kathy:  If you enjoy music, what kind of music do you enjoy?

Kathy:   Congratulations on becoming a permanent resident of the United States. That is a great achievement. Well, (chuckle)  I will have to come back to you in another five or ten years and ask you the same question. (smile)

Varvara:   I like rap music, but it really depends on what kind of the mood I am in. I love Eminem, and Jay-Z.  Right now I listen to a lot of Alicia Keys. She is an incredible singer.  I love her voice and songs.

I also like I.N.D.E.P.E.N.D.E.N.T, . . ."you got your own house, you got your own car . . ." by Lil Phat and Lil Boosie of 3Deep.  Alicia Keys, I like her new song No One.  That is a bad song.  I really love that.  In general, I love all kinds of music. Whether its soft rock, I love "oldies", a little bit of jazz and contemporary, some R&B, and I love Reggae. Powerful music.

Kathy:  Your highest ranking in the singles was No. 84 in the world on
October 2, 2006. You still have a pretty good ranking of 139 in the world. Actually considering all of the tennis players in the world, that is still a great ranking.  Have you been able to obtain sponsorship? I'm talking about full sponsorship, like having all of your expenses paid for to include clothing, shoes, travel expenses?

Varvara:  I wasn't actually able to get any sponsorship. That would be a great help for me, especially at the stage where I am right now.

Kathy:  How does it effect a player if they are not able to obtain the sponsorship that they need?

Kathy:  I think that’s excellent.  We all need to get away from what’s going on around us each and every day. Sometimes you have to dump out all that is in your mind, you have to air it out.  It’s a very good thing that you’re doing that. When you are reading, you are not only gaining knowledge but your also exercising intellect.

Varvara:  Well, it’s really important for the players to have financial support. It plays such a big role. There was a time, as well right now, where I’m in a very tight financial situation. Because of that, I had to make a choice not go to the Australian open. It’s a very expensive trip. I have decided to stay here in the U.S. and play challengers because it’s not as expensive.

Varvara:  There are so many other factors.  I need to have people to work with me such as a fitness coach and a hitting partner. If I had the financial means to do all of this, I know that my tennis would improve a lot. In the past I had some financial support and I was lucky to have that. It made such big difference. They did it only out of respect for me, as they weren't really big tennis fans. I know what I have to do in order to improve my game, but as any other business, it requires an investment. So far I’ve invested in myself and it’s a big struggle. This can be very hard due to lack of funds. Sometimes it’s hard to concentrate on what you have to do in tennis when you don’t know if it’s going to be enough to get you through tomorrow. Tennis is a beautiful game, but also a very expensive one.

Kathy:  Did you play in the juniors and if so, how did it work out for you? Did you have a chance to travel as much as you liked or as freely as you liked?

Kathy:  What do you think is the biggest obstacle in Women’s tennis?

Varvara:   For 2008, I would like to be in the top 50.

Kathy:   I truly hope that there are people out here who are paying attention to things and the ones who can afford to reach out to individuals in need should do so. 

Kathy:  I love that!