THE FEUD: SHARA’S IN SERENA’S BAD BOOKS
First meeting since 2016 overshadowed by autobiography row
serena WILLIAMS faces Maria sharapova today in the latest chapter of a feud fuelled by claims in the russian’s latest book.
The two tennis superstars have not met since the 2016 Australian Open when Sharapova tested positive for the drug meldonium and was banned for 15 months.
She used her time away from the game to write an autobiography titled Unstoppable: My Story So Far.
In it, she said the American has “thick arms and thick legs” – and claimed Williams cried after the Russian won Wimbledon in 2004.
The five-time Grand Slam winner wrote: “In this locker room, where I was changing and she was bawling. I
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think Serena hated me for being the skinny kid who beat her, against all odds, at Wimbledon.
“Not long after the tournament, I heard Serena told a friend – who then told me – ‘I will never lose to that little bitch again’.” Williams, who has won their last 18 matches, admitted she has read the book. There are 100 mentions of her name. “The book was a lot about me,” said the 23-time Grand Slam winner.
“I was surprised about that, to be honest. I was like, ‘Oh, OK. I didn’t expect to be reading a book about me, that wasn’t necessarily true. I didn’t know she looked up to me that much or was so involved in my career.
“I think the book was 100 per cent hearsay, at least all the stuff I read and the quotes that I read, which was a little bit disappointing.
“But I have cried in the locker room many times after a loss and that’s what I have seen a lot of people do. I think it’s normal. I’m human.
“What happens there should definitely stay there and not be talked about it in a not-sopositive way in a book. I don’t have any negative feelings towards her. Especially having
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a daughter, I feel like negativity is taught. One of the things I always say, I feel like women especially should bring each other up,” added Williams, who crashed out of the doubles with sister Venus against the No.3 seeds Andreja Klepac and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.
Rarely has a singles match between the world No.451 and the 28th seed attracted so much interest. “It’s been a while and I think a lot has happened in our lives for the both of us, in very different ways,” said Sharapova.
Both are regaining their form after time away from the game and are potential winners. Williams is playing her first Grand Slam as a mother – and only her third event of the season.
“She’s probably a favourite in this match, for sure,” said Williams. “She’s been playing for over a year now. I just started.”
Which is about as believable as another Sharapova claim in her book. “I think, to some extent, we have driven each other,” she wrote. “Maybe that’s better than being friends.
“But who knows? Someday, when all this is in our past, maybe we’ll become friends.” alexander zverev claims the next generation are close to a takeover at the pinnacle of tennis.
The German No.2 seed (above) beat Karen Khachanov 4-6 7-6 2-6 6-3 6-3 to become the youngest man to reach the French Open quarterfinals since 2009.
and zverev, 21, said: “Us young players are all improving quickly.
“We are all trying to challenge the top guys and doing everything we can to stop roger Federer and rafa
Nadal dominating.”