The 19-year-old knows she is carrying the expectations not just of her country but the whole of the region as she prepares to open her campaign at the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the season.

"I think as an athlete, not only as a tennis player, expectations come with the package," she said.

"I think it just in a way motivates me because I know there are so many people backing me. Before it was just India, but now it's the whole of Asia that's backing me."

Mirza's star has risen rapidly since she won a wild card for the Australian Open last year.

The teenager built on the break to turn 2005 into a phenomenal year, becoming the first Indian woman to win a WTA tour event and soaring more than 100 spots in the rankings to finish the year at 34.

It has made her a role model to countless young girls in India and attracted lucrative endorsement deals.

The experience she has gained has already given her an old head on young shoulders, and she talks with a confidence that belies her years.

"I'm no longer a rookie," she said, making clear that she is lapping up the attention, but she still can't quite believe she is fielding questions about the possibility that she can one day win a Grand Slam.

"Winning a Grand Slam is definitely a dream. It is what we all play for but it is hard to say if I'm going to win one or when," she said.

Former Indian great Vijay Amritraj has already tipped her as a future Grand Slam champion, saying she "is on her way", praising her attitude and work ethic.

But Mirza knows that to have a chance of realising her dream, she must avoid the injuries that are increasingly striking down players.

"There are a lot of things that count in winning a Grand Slam, or even for that matter staying at the position where I am.

"The amount of injuries that we have, the amount of pressure we're putting on our bodies -- it is a very hard sport. I really don't want to put a timeframe on when I want to win a Grand Slam," said the Hyderabad native.

"The first goal for me is to pass the first round."

Mirza shouldn't have a problem there, having drawn a qualifier, Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, in the opening round here.

In preparation for the Open, she has spent time with in-demand Australian coach Tony Roche in Sydney, and even warmed up with world number one Roger Federer.

"I worked with Tony the whole of December and made some changes to my game. You know, I'm back fresher. I'm really excited," she said.

"We worked on my serve and changed my action a bit, and also worked on my volley to get some variation in my game."

With the rise of her star has also come negative publicity, with religious conservatives attacking her for wearing short skirts. One cleric accused her of being "half-naked on the tennis court while playing, which is against Islam".

Later she created a storm with comments interpreted as condoning pre-marital sex.

But Mirza, a Muslim, is taking it all in her stride.

"The way you take all the positive things, you need to take all the negative things. It just goes with the package," she said, still amazed at the attention she is getting.

"I really didn't think it was going to happen so fast."