Maria Sharapova says she 'paid the price' for being seen as intimidating — but it led to her biggest wins Maria Sharapova says she never wanted to change herself to fit others' expectations. Jemal Countess/Getty Images for TIME Maria Sharapova, 39, says her intensity was a key factor behind her success. The tennis player said she wasn't affected by what people said about her as she was fully committed to her sport. "But 'pretty tough' was my mentality, and I didn't apologize for it," she said. Maria Sharapova , 39, says her intensity was key to some of her biggest victories. Speaking to Gayle King at the TIME100 Summit in New York City, the tennis player said she never wanted to change herself to fit others' expectations. "So from a young age, I had a very steely mentality. I had a fist pump that I was really known for. And I'd get off the court, and I'd be in press conferences, and everyone would say, 'But but it's so intimidating. You need to soften your edges. Can you add a filter?'" Sharapova told King.…