Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams have shared an iconic rivalry in the sport of tennis. While the rivalry was hugely in favor of Williams, Sharapova managed to put up a tough fight against Williams. However, her former coach Michael Joyce talked about a match that changed Sharapova’s perspective against her arch-rival Serena Williams.

Despite being one of the top players, the Russian could not overcome the challenges that Williams posed against her. This furthermore, affected her performance against the 23-time grand slam champion too.

Michael Joyce on the defining moment in Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams’ rivalry

Michael Joyce was talking about the finals at the Australian Open 2007. This match turned the tables for Williams and Sharapova’s perspective against her opponent changed. The former coach of the Russian player talked about it in a podcast and said, “Serena wasn’t playing well. She was a little overweight, she couldn’t move and Serena ended up winning just because of her experience and then they played in the finals.”

Despite expecting the Russian player’s victory, things went otherwise. He said, “Serena just played unreal, she blew her off the court and I did not see that one coming. … It was just a beat down and there was nothing Maria could do.”

However, it was just not the defeat that Sharapova had faced. Her coach said, “I think that match also affected Maria the 10-12 times she played her. It became somewhat mental, but I also think it was a match up a problem.”

This made Sharapova see the absolute talent that Williams carried. Joyce said, “Ultimately, Maria probably had the most respect for Serena over any player. I am just saying this based on what I think, she never said that.”

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He stated that the five-time grand slam champion always had faith in herself against every player. She believed she could take them down at some point. However, he said, “It was just like Serena’s bringing her A game. Maria was pretty predictable in how she was playing and Serena went through that period for 3-4 years where she just blew her away.” 

The iconic rivalry between Sharapova and Williams

Their rivalry began with Miami Masters and ended at the US Open. The layers met each other against the court 22 times and the American player lead the rivalry by the ratio of 20:2.

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Both the players have retired now, Sharapova bidding farewell to the sport in 2020 and Williams this year. The iconic tennis players are now enjoying their after-retirement life with their families and off-court endeavors.

What do you think about their rivalry? Let us know in the comments.