Maria Sharapova believed Serena Williams hated her for four reasons
Maria Sharapova won 36 singles titles during her tennis career, including five Grand Slams, but she claims Serena Williams has never forgiven her for one match.
Tennis legends Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova - who recently stepped out to share an uncrecognizable new look - had a long-standing rivalry on the court, particularly in the 2000s.
Despite Williams' overwhelming 20-2 win record against the Russian star, Sharapova managed to secure a significant victory over the tennis icon at Wimbledon in 2004. Just 17 at the time, Sharapova pulled off a stunning upset, winning her first Grand Slam title and leaving a lasting impression on Williams.
By 2004, Serena and Venus Williams had already dominated Wimbledon, with each sister claiming two titles at the All-England Club. However, Sharapova broke their winning streak, becoming the first player outside of the Williams sisters to claim the title at Wimbledon that century.
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As the 13th seed, Sharapova had already made a name for herself by upsetting Lindsay Davenport en route to the final. She then went on to defeat the younger Williams sister with ease, winning 6-1, 6-4 to claim her first of five Grand Slam titles.
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To this day, Sharapova believes that Williams holds a grudge against her for that match. In her 2017 autobiography 'Unstoppable: My Life So Far', Sharapova recounted a telling moment when she caught Williams crying in the locker room after the match.
"I went to the locker room alone. Serena had left the court as soon as she could without making a scene," Sharapova wrote. "I did not notice it and wouldn't have thought about it if not for what was going on when I got to my stall.
"Having your own private stall means that, even though you cannot see your opponent, you can hear her. And what I heard, when I came in and started to change clothes was Serena Williams crying. I got out as quickly as I could, but she knew I was there."
Despite prevailing against Williams at the 2004 WTA Finals, it marked the last of her victories over Serena, who prevailed in future matchups, pushing their head-to-head record to 20-2.
Sharapova mused on her struggles against Williams, writing: "People often wonder why I have had so much trouble beating Serena; she's owned me in the past ten years. My record against her is 2 and 19.
"In analyzing this, people talk about her strength, her serve and confidence, how her particular game matches up to mine and sure there is truth to all of that.
"To me, the real answer was there, in this locker room. where I was changing and she was sobbing. I think Serena hated me for being the skinny kid who beat her, against all the odds, at Wimbledon.
"I think she hated me for taking something that she believes belongs to her. I think she hated me for seeing her at her lowest moment. But mostly I think she hated me for hearing her cry. She's never forgiven me for it."
Though their professional rivalry ended with Williams having a dominant lead, the superstars have since reconciled and reunited at high-profile events, including the Met Gala.
