Tennis fans will never forget how eagerly Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams competed against each other to be the best on the women’s circuit. Their rivalry is a significant chapter in the history of modern-day tennis. But do you know how their rivalry began in the first place? When they were young, what caused them to turn against one another? Let’s take a look at the backstory that sparked one of the most intense rivalries in the Open Era.

During their heydays on the WTA Tour, both tennis stars created a name for themselves, both in and out of the tennis world. But the way they competed against each other was quite different from the other rivalries.

What ignited Maria Sharapova’s and Serena Williams’ rivalry?

The five-time Grand Slam champion, in her autobiography ‘Unstoppable: My Life So Far’, talked about her entire tennis journey and also highlighted her rivalry with Williams.

Going back to 2004, the Russian played her first Wimbledon final against Williams. Shockingly, she won the title by defeating the 41-year-old tennis star. During that match, there was a time when the former Russian tennis player unknowingly hit her arch-rival’s nose in the 3rd set. That was one of those unfortunate moments that Sharapova didn’t forget, even after 15 years.

She wrote in her autobiography, “She hit a hard shot, but I hit it back even harder. It caught her flush on the nose. I won the point, and she seemed at first irritated, then angry. There was a flash in her eyes. It’s humiliating to take a shot in the face on Centre Court at Wimbledon, with the TV stations showing it. Then showing it again in slow-mo, then again in super slo-mo, then from a reverse angle.” 

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But this wasn’t the only thing that happened on that day to spark their future rivalry. The 23-time Grand Slam champion was so enraged that the Russian tennis star won her maiden Wimbledon that she uttered some foul words about her arch-rival that proved to be a precedent for their almost two-decade rivalry. 

Serena was furious after losing to Sharapova!

In the same autobiography, the 36-year-old former Russian tennis player described how Williams was not pleased after losing the final. She admitted that the legendary American tennis player despised her for one particular reason. The fact that she had made her cry after the tennis match.

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She overheard Serena telling a friend that she would never lose to Sharapova again. Sharapova also remembered the 23-time Grand Slam champion calling her a “little b**” in that conversation.

However, with time, both tennis giants have made peace with each other. And are now on good terms with each other.