Svetlana Kuznetsova admits she found it dificult to come back down to earth after her surprise win at last year's US Open.
The Russian, who turns 20 during Wimbledon, capped a magnificent 2005 with victory over Elena Dementieva at Flushing Meadows.
And while Kuznetsova has gone on to firmly establish herself in the world's top 10, she has yet to hit those heights again in 2006.
"It's not difficult to carry pressure but after such success it's difficult to become normal again," she told BBC Sport.
"It's difficult to find a balance but I just needed some time to get it back.
"I think more players want to beat me. When you're a junior on the tour and you start playing it's easier to get up to the top.
"You've got to work very hard to stay there."
 |  It's not my knees that hurt, it's my butt |
One of Kuznetsova's many highlights last year was her victory on grass at Eastbourne, but it was followed by a first-round exit at Wimbledon.
"I didn't expect to do so well at Eastbourne and I didn't expect to do so badly at Wimbledon, so it was a weird time," she said.
It was particularly disappointing as Kuznetsova's aggressive game is suited to faster surfaces.
"My game definitely changes on grass because I want to win the points quicker," she said.
"On clay you just put on lots of spin and the ball jumps up. It's very hard to make a winner, but here it's really easy.
"You just have to bend your knees and focus on every ball. If you lose just one point, you can lose the game. If they serve well, it's difficult."
And it's not just her style of play that is affected on grass.
Asked whether she can feel the switch from clay in her knees, Kuznetsova said: "It's not my knees that hurt, it's my butt.
"But you get used to it."
MMIX
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
