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‘Stupid’ and ‘Nervous’ Serena Williams Yearned for Arch-Rival Maria Sharapova’s Help To Strike Up a Conversation With Justin Bieber in 2011 – ‘Gosh, I Wish..’

Published 01/15/2023, 1:30 PM EST

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Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams gave tennis enthusiasts an iconic rivalry to follow. And this did not limit itself to the court. However, there were moments when the two showed signs of sisterhood.

One such moment was back in 2011 when Serena Williams wished that Maria Sharapova was with her. The Justin Bieber fangirl needed moral support from someone she knew to approach the American singer-songwriter.

One time when Serena Williams kept her rivalry aside with Maria Sharapova to meet Justin Bieber

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The American tennis star was also part of the huge fandom of Bieber back in 2011. She herself wanted to meet the renowned teenage music sensation. And at the 2011 ESPY Awards when she actually got a chance, she wished none other than Maria Sharapova to be next to her.

In a press conference, she was talking about Sharapova, when Williams detailed the incident. She said, “She’s a nice person, I think. She’s quiet, but hey like so am I sometimes. Especially before a match.”

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She detailed her relief after seeing Sharapova and said, “Plus, it was good to see a familiar face. I was sitting so close to Justin Bieber and I wanted to meet him so bad.”

Furthermore, she said, “And I was just too stupid and nervous to say anything.”

Her arch-rival seemed like her only friend at that moment. Williams stated, “And I saw Maria, and I was like, gosh, I wish she was sitting next to me and we could both gather up.”

” I am sure she would have been nervous, but I was thinking, Man that would have been a lot easier.”

The two have shared a long rivalry, even if it was majorly in favor of Serena Williams. But it shows that in dire fangirl moments, even legendary rivalries can be kept aside.

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The moment that sparked their rivalry

It was back in 2004 when the two met in the finals of the Wimbledon. No one expected a young Russian teenager to win. However, Maria Sharapova took down world no. 1 Serena Williams.

And this definitely did not sit well with the 23-time Grand Slam champion. In her biography, Sharapova stated Williams said, “I will never lose to that little b**ch again.” And this embarked a long rivalry between them.

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WATCH THIS STORY: Hilarious Meaning of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Serena Williams on Urban Dictionary! 

However, the two players have now kept their differences aside. What do you think about their rivalry? Please let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Shivali Sharma

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Shivali Sharma is a tennis author at EssentiallySports. She has pursued her Master's in history from Himachal University, but her love for the game has driven her to write about tennis. Shivali is a huge fan of Naomi Osaka and admires Osaka not only for her on-court performances, but also for her off-court actions.
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Edited by:

Arijit Saha