20 years ago 17-year-old Maria Sharapova     was propelled into the spotlight after     winning     Wimbledon     a what a chion her victory over two time     defending Champion Serena Williams in     the final was seismic this match began     one of the most intriguing rivalries in     sports one that shed light on how the     media can paint a picture far removed     from reality to pit two women against     each other     this is the story of Serena and     Maria

July 3rd 2004 Serena Williams was     on a 20 match win streak at Wimbledon     she was the two-time defending champion     and top seed but her career had entered     a bit of a sophomore slump she’d spent     eight months away from tennis with a     knee injury following Wimbledon 2003 and     had played just five tournaments in 2004     Maria Sharapova was very much the new     kid on the Block she’d won WTA newcomer     of the year in 2003 and cracked the top     20 less than 2 months prior at just 17     years old she was on a win streak of her     own winning a leadup event in Birmingham     right before Wimbledon the five     victories there plus six wins at the all     England Club led up to the biggest match     of her young career a Wimbledon final     against Serena Williams the 2004     Wimbledon ladies final saw the arrival     of a new star on Center Court Maria beat

Serena at her own game she hit the ball     hard pushed Serena around     and showed few signs of nerves in her     first major final to defeat the six-time     Grand Slam champion after that match we     saw what many sports fans described as     Maria Mania the tennis world was     obsessed with a tall blonde with a     bubbly personality yeah I’m actually     more nervous going on this show than I     was before the     final the hyper on Maria was already     huge upon reaching the final and when     she actually won the Sports World fully     embraced her as tennis’s new girl she     signed endorsement deals with Motorola     and appeared in multiple commercials ads     and editorials over the next year make     every shot a power     shot she capped off 2004 by winning the     WT finals beating Serena in the     championship match again Serena was up     for love in the third set but an     abdominal injury prevented her from     closing it out and at the 2005     Australian Open in January Serena faced     claims that she and Venus were a     declining force in tennis now

Serena     fired back at these claims saying we’ve     been practicing hard we’ve had serious     injuries I’ve had surgery and after I     got to The Wimbledon final I don’t know     many who’ve done that Venus had a severe     strain in her stomach I actually had the     same injury but I didn’t tear it the way     she did so no we’re not declining we’re     here I don’t have to win this tournament     to prove anything I know that I am out     here and I know that I’m one of the best     players out here Serena also addressed     the 2003 murder of their sister yundi     price and the impact that had on their     family 2003 was a hard year for the     sisters and now they were having to     defend their legitimacy among the     world’s best just Days Later Serena     faced fourth seed Maria Sharapova in the     semi-finals Maria was making millions of     dollars with one slam under her belt     deals with Motorola tag Hoyer and she     was in Land Rover and Canon commercials     magazine covers and flashy events     contributed to her glossy it girl image     Serena had accomplished way more and     just to be clear was a superstar in her     own right also making millions but Maria     was making more getting more attention     ranked higher and treated more kindly by     the media Serena a true competitor     wanted to win this match badly she     wanted to prove herself on the court

Maria got the early lead winning the     first set in just 30 minutes Serena won     the second 75 and then Maria served for     the match in the third this was the     turning point in their rivalry and one     point in particular sticks out Maria had     a match point on her serve she stepped     up to the line and Serena did     this snu     out Serena would save three match points     in the semi-final eventually winning 8-6     in the third set     she’d going to win the title her seventh     major fast forward to the 2007

Australian Open final they hadn’t played     since that 2005 semi-final but both of     their storylines in 2007 felt very     similar to 2005 Maria was at a     career-high ranking of two in the world     she just won the 2006 US Open and posted     a 19 match win streak near the end of     the season she came into the Australian     Open as the the top seed after World     number one enan withdrew 2006 was not a     good year for Serena hampered by injury     she’d played just four events she fell     to 97 in the world by the end of the     season her lowest year- end ranking in     almost 10 years in dangel peiser’s book     on the line Serena revealed she was     suffering from depression in 2006 seeing     a therapist daily while taking an     extended break from tennis when she came     to Melbourne to play the yesterday in     open Aussie commentator Pat cash called     her a lost C     and said she was delusional for thinking     she could return to the top of the game     she was recovering from injury fighting     depression ranked 81 in the world hadn’t     want a slam in 2 years and again face     doubts about her abilities despite that     she Advanced all the way to the final     and faced Maria Sharapova world number     two top of her game Millionaire it girl

Maria Sharapova I love doubters cuz I     love more than anything what I love     besides obviously winning     is proving people     wrong like I always say I’ve believed in     myself more than you know anyone and uh     even though it was hard you know I     really believed in me and in my     game if I play well and I do the things     that I need to do it’s really hard for     anyone on women’s stour to beat     me side note here Serena hates to lose     during my 15 years of following tennis     and Serena Williams it’s a known fact     that she’s hyper competitive with     everything she does from Sports to board     games to business she doesn’t want     second best and Maria was possibly a     reminder of all she’d lost or at least     come second best in over the previous 3     years 2004 Wimbledon 2004 WT finals the     endorsement deals I mean Maria was     Nike’s darling and as she walked on     court in her custom yellow Nike dress     Serena walked on court with a lot more     to prove Serena Williams will see     herself on her right she ERS Rod laor

Arena she’s been the big story down     under but she’s the underdog today to     Maria sherov Serena had fought through     an extremely difficult to your period to     get to this point and Maria was on top     of the world so this was actually the     first time I noticed some animosity from     either player and it came when Maria hit     Serena with an overhead at the net the     camera has caught Serena’s Choice words     after the point so it’s not clear what     she says some people think she said     but I’m not too sure anyway     anyways Serena would completely demolish

Maria in just over an hour and that win     forced all the doubters to eat their     words the fair T comeback is     complete Serena Williams for the third     time is the champion in     Melbourne Serena would make the     quarterfinals are better at 13 of her     next 14 Majors including five wins two     more in Australia two at Wimbledon and     one at the US Open she’d finished 2007     inside the top 10 and get back to world     number one in the following year Maria     would only make it past the fourth round     at three of her next 14 Majors one of     those being a title run at the 2008     Australian Open a big part of this slump     was because of a shoulder injury she     sustained in 2007 which would lead to     shoulder surgery in 2008 she had a long     road to recovery and wouldn’t get back     to the very top of the game for another     4 years despite the en Court struggles     in form from 2008 to 2010 she still     secured an 8-year $70 million extension     to her Nike deal in January 2010 and     that was just one of her endorsements I     mean she still had Porsche tager Sony

PepsiCo Land Rover the list goes on     Serena and Maria played each other 17     times after that 2007 Australian Open     final Serena won every time to all of us     watching this was personal but that was     just a theory until an incident in 2013     gave it some Credence a rolling stone     reporter released exerpts from a private     phone conversation Serena was having     during their time together for an     article he was writing in the     conversation which Serena wasn’t having     with the reporter by the way Serena     makes a remark about an unnamed rival     and her blackhearted boyfriend the     reporter guesses the comments were about

Maria adds it to the article and like     blood in the water the tennis world     flocked to the drama so it got pretty     ugly Maria fired back at Serena during a     Wimbledon press conference nothing     personal you know we’ve we’ve talked to     Serena many times and I know everyone     tries to create you know rivalries     between us here and there but at the end     of the day we have a tremendous amount     of respect for what we do on the court     but and if she wants to talk about     something personal you know maybe she     talk about her relationship and you know     her her boyfriend that was you know     married and getting a divorce and has     kids you know it should talk about other     things but not draw attention to other     things she has so much in her life in     many positives and I think that’s what     it should be about and Serena apparently     apologized to Maria but this moment     solidified that there was beef between     the two women so almost every time

Serena and Maria played each other after     that 2013 incident the backdrop was set     there was beef and then just this year     in 2024 Serena said this about that     perceived beef between her and Maria I     haven’t seen any tennis players I know     I’m waiting for you to pull there’s only     two tennis players it’s you and one     other Mar     yep now is there a beef there I started     these not anymore not     anymore I mean was there ever beef I     guess it was just competitive though she     was winning I was winning you know we     both wanted to win I don’t think it was     personal it was just you want to win so     I think Serena is telling the truth here     if you look back at all those times as     they played there’s no real evidence     there was beef they seemed friendly but     the media saw an opportunity to pit two     women of different backgrounds against     each other and took it and honestly I’m     one of the fans who took the bait it was     more exciting to watch A Match where the     players hated each other it added     Intrigue but after some time

I’m     realizing that the fans may have been     sold a storyline that wasn’t necessarily     true and it wasn’t just the fans that     were sold on it maybe Maria and Serena     fell victim to that narrative too if all     you see is how much you hate this     opponent maybe you start to believe it     yourself Maria and Serena is a great     example of how our own limited ideas     about two people especially two women     can entice us to fill in the blanks on     what we don’t know often times we’re     filling in the blanks with theories that     are more exciting than reality     especially when that reality is far     removed from our own for most of us     Maria and Serena exist only on a TV or     computer screen but so many of us are so     confident about what they’re feeling and     why they’re feeling it maybe Serena     didn’t hate Maria maybe Serena just     hated losing and maybe Maria hated     losing two and as they leave prot tennis     behind they’re running into each other     at events and not staring dagger at each     other from across the room they’re     actually taking pictures together     they’ve buried the hatchet if there ever     really was one so I’m not trying to     rewrite history here this is just my     analysis but sometimes it’s nice to     reflect and take a deep dive into an     interesting storyline like this one also     the takeaway is go rewatch the     highlights from their 2005 aerian open     semi-final because the level was really     good and it was high drama okay bye