By Nina Mandell
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
SOHO — Dozens of fans gathered outside of a Mulberry Street gallery to catch a glimpse — and cop an autograph — from tennis star Maria Sharapova Tuesday night.
Sharapova, who is slated to play at the U.S. Open which begins this weekend, is in town early for an Evian photo shoot.
She said that when she’s not on the court in the coming days she plans on celebrating her new line at Cole Haan and shopping in Soho, where she likes to hit up Zara, Topshop and vintage stores.
“I change it up from year to year depending on what I’m feeling,” said the Russian star, who often makes appearances on the Manhattan party circuit. "I love to explore the city every time I'm playing.”
Sharapova is seeded 14th in this year's U.S. Open, which makes her a long shot to win it — but she's still a fan favorite.
Jim Kahn waited with his nephew, Bryce Holden, niece Hannah and their friend Max for more than an hour Tuesday night, hoping to get Sharapova to sign one of the tennis balls or Sports Illustrated covers they brought.
When asked if it was worth the wait, Holden smiled and said, “Yeah definitely.”
Then he admitted that like many tennis fans, he had a crush on the star.
“She's really hot,” he said.
Hot or not, Sharapova said she expected some fierce competition in this year's tournament, even without Serena Williams, who withdrew earlier this month.
“We’re still going to have a really competitive field,” she said. “We have a really tough field and you’re going to have to go against some tough players to win it.”
On the women’s side, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark is seeded first while Rafael Nadal is seeded first on the men’s side.
But with the U.S. Open only partly about tennis, New Yorkers can look for plenty of free events when it comes to the famed tennis tournament.
Various musical acts perform throughout the tournament around Arthur Ashe Stadium, and young tennis fans can also take part in Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day where they can participate in a juggling workshop, get their face painted or watch the pros practice.
But while all that hubbub is going around, Sharapova said she’ll just be focused on trying to take home the trophy.
Her only advice for fans was to have fun — and come prepared.
“Make sure you bring a lot of sunscreen,” she said. “It gets hot out there.”
