For over a decade, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova competed against each other in arguably one of the sport’s most famous rivalries. The two are one of the most successful businesswomen who have made it big outside their sports. 

They were neither BFFs nor mortal enemies off the court. But, at one point in their rivalry, there was a lot going on between them, and nothing seemed to work out well. In one of Sharapova’s pre-match interviews in 2013, the Russian star made a strong statement and gave it back to Serena Williams.

The spat between Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova

Back on December 16, 2013, Maria Sharapova gave a lengthy interview with The New York Times. In the interview, she discussed parting ways with former coach Jimmy Connors on a professional front. She also talked about why she decided to criticize Williams publicly at Wimbledon. 

Initially, during a pre-match interview for Wimbledon on June 23, 2013, Sharapova said “If she wants to talk about something personal, maybe she should talk about her relationship, and her boyfriend that was married, and is getting a divorce and has kids,“

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Then later, when she spoke to New York Times, she justified her statement by saying, “The thing is, I didn’t say anything that was not true, so it’s not like some secret she told me that I gave out to the world. I said something that everyone knew, except no one expected me to say it.“

The rivalry, which was more than just a rivalry

Despite Serena’s massive head-to-head advantage over Sharapova, their rivalry has always attracted a lot of attention worldwide. The first time they met on the court was back in the 2004 Miami Open. Serena came out on top in that match, defeating Sharapova in straight sets.

In the same year, Sharapova beat Serena in the final of the Wimbledon Championships. This is one of her most significant victories in her career. Later, the 35-year-old repeated her victory over the American at the WTA Tour Championships in 2004.

WATCH THE STORY: When Serena Williams remained unbothered by a mammoth 10 million difference between her and Maria Sharapova

Those were the only times in their careers that Sharapova ever beat Serena. The two tennis greats last faced each other in the 2019 US Open first round, where Serena quickly wrapped things up with Sharapova in straight sets.