When Serena Williams’ Venomous Stare at Maria Sharapova Turned the Australian Open Into a Cauldron of Palpable Tension

Tennis is a sport that has seen tons of dramatic moments. Fights between players, arguments with umpires and officials, and off-court drama are a few things one can expect to witness during the season. Drama often arises out of rivalry, and there is likely no better example of such a rivalry than Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams; the two were often at odds, and one can see it in their 2007 Australian Open bout where Sharapova evoked an angry reaction from Williams.

A scene similar to the one that took place between Williams and Sharapova was seen this year. The moment included Novak Djokovic and Cameron Norrie and ended up becoming quite controversial.

Maria Sharapova glared down by Serena Williams

Anyone who started watching tennis in the mid-2010s would know of the fierce rivalry between Williams and Sharapova. The Russian and the American players were not fond of each other back then and would fight each other with desperate intensity. A similar fire could be seen in their 2007 Australian Open final, which saw Williams staring down at Sharapova after a body shot.

When the score was 5-0 in the first set, Sharapova served and aimed to come back. The first point in the sixth game went on for 10 rallies, and both players were running around the court. Williams stretched her hand for a difficult return on the backhand side, which became an easy smash for her Russian opponent. Her return landed directly on the Queen of the Court and she reacted by giving Sharapova an angry stare.

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The 23-time grand slam champion would go on to win the match 6-1, 6-2, and her third Australian Open title. Tennis fans could see a similar moment take place in a Djokovic bout but at a less grand stage. 

Novak Djokovic angrily stares at Cameron Norrie

In the Italian Open earlier this year, Novak Djokovic faced Cameron Norrie. The Serb dominated the Briton and would go on to win the match. However, it would not end without a moment of drama. Djokovic faced difficulty in returning a point, which became the perfect set-up for a smash for Norrie. The Djoker, knowing he had lost the point, started walking back but found himself being hit by Norrie’s return.

In response, he turned around and glared at him. The moment would become controversial as Djokovic did not shake Norrie’s hand properly after his win. The two moments in tennis are remembered by many as drama is rarely forgotten by the fans. As the sport goes on, many other such moments will further come to light.

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