Wimbledon champ joins list of donors

Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova donated €7,000 to victims of the deadly tsunami disaster in Thailand when she arrived in the country today.

The Russian tennis star was on a Californian beach when she heard about tragedy.

“Definitely, you know it’s very devastating what has happened,” she said after presenting a cheque to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in Bangkok.

“But I feel I should have come here. I was committed to coming here and if I didn’t I would have felt defeated and, you know, life goes on. So I figure that we just have to go on with what we have planned.”

Part of going on with things also is setting up a charity next year.

“I love giving back and I think it’s very important to help those that are in need,” she said.

As part of her preparations for next month’s Australian Open, Sharapova is in Thailand for a match in the northern city of Chiang Mai against Venus Williams.

“Life is unpredictable. We have to live every second not knowing what is going to happen,” Sharapova said.