The Globe and Mail

She's only 21, but she's a rising Canadian star on the tennis court.

Aleksandra Wozniak is Canada's top tennis player – ranked No. 37 in the world on the WTA's women's singles division. She owes some of her success to her coach – her dad Antoni – who also gave her some guidance on the road, too, but his tennis advice seems to stick better than his driving lessons.

“I took professional driving lessons. Sometimes my dad would teach me, but I need someone more patient than that,” laughs the native of Blainville, Que., who is gearing up for the Aug. 15-23 Rogers Cup in Toronto. This week, she's playing in the WTA Premier in Cincinnati.

Wozniak hasn't been driving long – she got her licence at 18 on the first try. Then came a sponsorship deal with Volvo and a C30 hatchback. She moved up the lineup last month to a 2010 Volvo XC60 crossover.

“It's back home right now,” she says by telephone from the Los Angeles Women's Tennis Championships. She defeated American Bethanie Mattek-Sands, but lost against Na Li from China, who is ranked 17th in the world.

“I got it in July; when I got back from Wimbledon, I went and picked it up. I wanted a car that's all white. It's classy and I like that.”

She's not worried about getting it dirty, either. “With all the rain we had in July, it's so clean. During winter, I don't think I'll have a problem. I'll clean it up – I always take care of my stuff. Usually I like to wash it, but in the winter I'll bring it to Volvo,” says Wozniak, whose father was a pro soccer player in his native Poland.

Now he's a mechanic who works night shifts so he can coach his daughter during the day. In 2008, he was named Tennis Canada's coach of the year.

Wozniak doesn't know much about her new wheels. “Inside, there are so many gadgets – it's really different. It holds on good to the road when you turn. It's a sporty car and on the road it's really safe.

“I don't know the difference with other cars. But I know that Volvo is a pretty safe car,” she says.

“I love the trunk, because I have a lot of space to hold my tennis racquets, tennis practice stuff. I put it in and when I close the door it shuts by itself with a button. It's easy. So that's what I love the most,” she giggles.

Parking the XC60 was challenging at first. “In the beginning, I had to get adjusted because I couldn't see the back. The C30 had the back that's all open with a big window. And this one is higher so I had to adjust to it.

“When I was backing up, I didn't know, am I okay? Are my wheels going to hit the sidewalk? But I'm getting used to it now,” says Wozniak, who holds the Canadian Fed Cup record for most total wins and most singles wins.

On the road, she listens to a broad range of music – from dance to rap. “I really love the Dave Matthews Band, Beyoncé, Coldplay, Rihanna – a different mix of music. It all depends how I feel. Sometimes I just like to listen to relaxing music when I'm tired.”

Before a match, it's a different story. “I listen to something to pump me up – get me motivated – like dance music or eighties' music.”