Serena Williams versus Maria Sharapova was always more than just a tennis match. According to Williams’ childhood coach Rick Macci, their rivalry was “more like a catfight.” He felt that both these players didn’t “like each other” for various reasons. Williams and Sharapova first locked horns in the fourth round of the 2004 Miami Open. Although the American won that match, Sharapova stunned Serena twice later that year. But after that, it was sheer dominance from the 23-time Grand Slam champion. Their last meeting was at the 2019 US Open, where Serena defeated Sharapova in straight sets to secure her 20th victory over the Russian in 22 matches. Five years down the road, the tennis world still cherishes the epic rivalry that lasted over a decade. But which was the most memorable encounter between Serena and Sharapova? Serena’s former coach Rennae Stubbs has weighed in.

In October 2024, Stubbs revisited Serena Williams’ dominating performance against her fierce rival, Maria Sharapova, in the women’s singles gold medal match at the 2012 London Olympics. The Aussie was commentating on the match, which took place at the iconic Centre Court of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club alongside Mary Carillo. She claimed that it was the best match she had seen Williams play in her entire career. But what was so special about Serena’s performance in that match? 

Well, according to Stubbs, that match made her realize that no one held on to grudges to outclass a rival quite like Serena Williams. Now, a year later, Stubbs has revisited that iconic battle in the latest episode of her podcast again. “Just go and watch the Olympics final in London where she (Serena) played Sharapova, who was playing really well and serving really well, and it was over in like five minutes. I’ve never seen a more devastating two sets of tennis against a great player like Maria Sharapova, and make her look like she was terrible,” Stubbs said on her podcast.

Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova by 6-0,6-1 in that match. This victory completed a remarkable run of her domination, losing only 17 games in six matches en route to her first singles gold medal. Golden Slam, ticked! After that match, Williams said, “I remember I was serving and I was thinking: ‘Serena, this is your best chance to win a gold medal.’”

Even Sharapova admitted that her opponent was playing “incredibly confident tennis” with some really powerful shots. Highlighting more of that in her podcast, Stubbs added, “I mean there was one time where Maria had to serve that wide like 115, 116, 117 miles an hour, and Serena hit it back faster than Maria could refocus her eyes back on the court. It was just like boom, down the line.”

Interesting Fact: The career Golden Slam was first achieved by Steffi Graf when she won the gold medal at the 1988 Olympics and also clinched all four major titles.

Stubbs recalled her expression during her commentary for NBC and revealed that she had then told her fellow commentator that, “Sometimes there are just no words. And that’s exactly how I felt when Serena was at her absolute peak.“

Even Serena Williams herself enjoyed this rivalry more than anyone else. Talking about her rivalry with Sharapova during the 2015 AO, Serena said, “I take a lot of pride in it. I think my game matches up well against her. I love playing her. I think it’s fun. I love her intensity.” They enjoyed their rivalry, but did Serena and Sharapova have any dislike towards each other?

Serena Williams shares some insights about her relationship with Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams shared 29 Grand Slam titles between them. Sharapova was one of Serena’s fiercest opponents on the Tour during the early phases of their rivalry. But still, she somehow struggled to overcome the American wherever they met. While they were fierce competitors on the court, how was their relationship off the court?

In her autobiography ‘Unstoppable’, Sharapova cited the reason why she believed Serena was so desperate to beat her after that famous Wimbledon final in 2004. “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,” Sharapova wrote.

Even the American legend Chris Evert once said that she noticed how they disliked each other on the court. In an interview, Evert said, “You get the sense that they really don’t like each other when they’re on the court. But it’s just a lot of intensity. I think everybody kind of enjoys that sort of picture and enjoys the event. Even though it’s one-sided, they still enjoy it. And that would be two players, Maria and Serena, by the way, at their best, those are two of the mentally toughest players in the last, you know, 20 years hands down.”

She even drew parallels between that rivalry and her own rivalry with Martina Navratilova. “I love the Sharapova and Williams rivalry because it’s so feisty. It is one-sided, but it’s very intense. Both of them are so intense, and they’re so opposite,” Evert further added.

What did Serena Williams herself have to say about her relationship with Sharapova, though? Well, she never added any fuel to the fire. “Was there ever beef? I guess. It was just competitive. She was winning, I was winning, you know, we both wanted to win, and I don’t think it was personal. It was just, ‘Do you want to win?” Serena once said.

Later, both of them were even clicked together along with Venus Williams at the Met Gala in 2021. That perhaps put an end to the speculations of their frosty relationship. But hey, that rivalry was electric, and even the highlights sometimes give the fans goosebumps. What’s your favorite Serena Vs Sharapova match?