Maria Sharapova – “Serena Williams And I Should Be Friends”

The unconventional draw at US Open 2019 resulted in an opening-round clash between Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams and the American crushed the five-time Grand Slam champion, Sharapova in straight sets. 

The 15-year-old rivalry between the former US Open champions has been an eminent one in tennis and in their 22nd meeting on the WTA Tour, Williams seized her 19th straight victory against Sharapova in New York.

In her autobiography, Unstoppable: My Life So Far, Maria Sharapova revealed her insights on her relationship with Williams. She believes that both of them possess the same amount of zeal for their profession and they have an innate desire to win on the tennis courts. 

“Serena and I should be friends; we have the same passion,” she said. “Only a few people in the world know what we know – what it feels like in the dead center of this storm, the fear, and anger that drive you, how it is to win and how it is to lose. But we are not friends – not at all.”

Nevertheless, World Number 87, Maria Sharapova hopes to be Serena’s companion in the future. “I think, to some extent, we have driven each other. Maybe that’s what it takes. Only when you have that intense antagonism can you find the strength to finish her off. Who knows? Some day, when all this is in our past, maybe we’ll become friends. Or not. You never can tell,” she mentioned.

After her 59-minute defeat at Flushing Meadows, Maria Sharapova’s hopes to win on the circuit remain unharmed, as she said, “I have to keep going. There’s no other way. There’s no easy road about it. I can phrase it in so many different ways and terms, but I still have to go out and I have to do it.”

The eight-seed, Serena Williams is through to the third round at US Open 2019 and she will meet Karolina Muchova from the Czech Republic.