Maria Sharapova has shared that she and Serena Williams have truly developed a stable relationship of their post-tennis life as they now often message each other and chat a bit of.
Very early within the Sharapova and Williams rivalry, there was a chat that the 2 tennis superstars did not like one another. And that was one thing that adopted their rivalry all through their careers nevertheless it was additionally one thing that was at all times including one thing further to their matches.
However the instances of Sharapova and Williams dealing with one another on the courtroom are lengthy gone as their final assembly got here 5 years in the past on the 2019 US Open. Shortly after that match, the Russian tennis legend walked away from professional tennis in 2020 January whereas the American tennis icon ended her profession on the US Open two years in the past.
Since retiring, Sharapova – now 37 – has welcomed her first child and she or he has additionally been closely centered on working her companies. On the opposite aspect, 42-year-old Williams is in an analogous place since she additionally gave delivery to her second little one final 12 months and she or he can be now extra centered on the enterprise world.
And through her go to to Wimbledon and a dialog with Tennis Channel, Sharapova had a revelation to make.
“Now we get to replicate on the previous and have an excellent snicker about it. Additionally seeing her, she has two children now, and an extremely sturdy enterprise platform. Yeah, we’ve got a number of enjoyable – we’ve got some good chats on our telephones,” Sharapova mentioned on Tennis Channel.
Maria Sharapova visits the TC desk and talks her present friendship with Serena Williams 💫
“Now we get to replicate on the previous and have an excellent snicker about it.” pic.twitter.com/IMmbBCLLjI
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) July 3, 2024
Williams lately shut down claims of there being a beef with Williams
As talked about above, for principally a decade and a half it was believed that Sharapova and Williams disliked one another – not solely on the courtroom but additionally on a private degree. And fact to be informed, the Russian and the American did not seem like associates on the courtroom nor did they’ve any heat moments collectively throughout their professional careers.
However only in the near past, Williams steered that it was simply two rivals eager to win and nothing else.
“Not anymore. I imply, was there ever beef? I suppose. It was simply aggressive. She was successful. I used to be successful, you recognize, we each needed to win, and I do not assume it was private. It was simply, ‘Do you wish to win?'” Williams mentioned on The Serena Assortment in Could.
After Sharapova completed the 2004 season with a 2-1 head-to-head file versus Williams, she by no means once more gained any of their matches because the American gained all of their 19 matches performed between 2005 and 2019.
Sharapova recounted her most well-known win towards Williams a number of months in the past
Whereas Sharapova completed her profession with 5 Grand Slams, her first Slam victory was at all times essentially the most memorable one since she was simply 17 when she turned a Slam champion on the most prestigious event on the earth. That 12 months at Wimbledon, Sharapova ousted former world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport earlier than additionally dismantling Williams 6-1 6-4 within the last.
To today, Sharapova stays the youngest Wimbledon champion.
And several other months in the past, Sharapova defined what occurred the day she met Williams within the Wimbledon last and what led to her dominant win.
“It was a second itself after I actually felt the load. It was the truth that Wimbledon in my eyes rising up was ‘The Occasion, The Event,’ the place the place as knowledgeable you wish to find yourself, you need these French doorways to open to Centre Court docket. And it did and it simply occurred to be the ultimate for me,” Sharapova mentioned on the Dax Shepard podcast final December.
“It’s fascinating it was one of many first few instances in my profession as a younger lady that I felt what it was wish to be within the zone. You realize when athletes talk about being within the stream, within the zone, I had that second in the midst of the event, and it was within the fourth spherical.
“It was not that I had that a lot expertise within the Grand Slam tournaments, simply two weeks earlier than it was my first time moving into the quarterfinals on the French Open. Though I misplaced, it was an enormous victory.
“I discovered myself on this stream state in the midst of the occasion enjoying somebody who additionally ought to’ve overwhelmed me. However I gained that match so confidently and so routinely. It felt like I used to be letting go of all of the repetitions, I used to be letting go of any worry that I had. I simply allowed the second and my ability to shine by.”
After 2004, Sharapova appeared in yet another Wimbledon last – she misplaced to Petra Kvitova in 2011 – and she or he was additionally a semifinalist on three different events.