Why do Serena Williams and Sharapova 'HATE' each other? What was said in explosive book?
Both Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova breezed through into the French Open fourth round.
Sharapova, who won the French Open in 2012 and 2014, eased past Karolina Pliskova 6-2 6-1 in less than an hour.
Williams, meanwhile, overcame Julia Goerges 6-3 6-4 to move into the second week.
Now the arch rivals go head-to-head today.
Why do Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova not get on?
The rivalry began back in 2004.
Sharapova, just 17 at the time, was coming up against Serena in the Wimbledon final.
Williams was the two-time defending champion but Sharapova put in a stunning performance to win the trophy.
By the Russians own admission, thats where the seeds were sown to a spicy future.
She admitted just that in her book, released last year, called Unstopptable: My Life So Far.
I think Serena hated me for being the skinny kid who beat her, against all odds, at Wimbledon, she wrote.
I think she hated me for seeing her at her lowest moment.
But mostly I think she hated me for hearing her cry.
Shes never forgiven me for it..
In fact, her book mentioned Williams dozens of times and Sharapova described hearing her opponent sob in the locker room.
How did Serena Williams react to Maria Sharapovas comments?
Williams hadnever spoken publicly about it but she did just that ahead of their French Open clash.
I wanted to read the book and I was really excited for it to come out and I was really happy for her, Serena began.
And then the book was a lot about me.
I was surprised about that, to be honest.
You know, I was, like, Oh, okay.
I didnt expect to be reading a book about me, that wasnt necessarily true.
I was, like, this is really interesting, but, you know, I dont know.
I think maybe -- I dont know.
I think maybe she -- I didnt know she looked up to me that much or was so involved in my career.
I think the book was 100% hearsay, which was a little bit disappointing.
I have cried in the locker room many times after a loss, and thats what I have seen a lot of people do.
I think its normal.
I think if anything, it shows the passion and the desire and, you know, the will that you have to want to go out there and do the best.
I think what happens there should definitely maybe stay there and not necessarily talk about it in a not-so-positive way in a book.
I dont have any negative feelings towards her, which again, was a little disappointing to see in that hearsay book.
A lot of people always assume that I feel a different way and its not true.
Especially having a daughter - I feel like negativity is taught.
If anything, I feel like we should encourage each other, and the success of one female should be the inspiration to another, and I have said that a thousand times..
What else has Maria Sharapova said?
In an interview with CNN in 2017, Sharapova spoke publicly about Serena again.
Discussing the Wimbledon win, her first Grand Slam title, the Russian said: Obviously it was a disappointing loss to her because she was expected to win.
Im sure she expected to win that match, another Wimbledon final.
So I think that disappointment really, it stirred something up.
She didnt want to lose to me again..
Sharapova may have been right.
The pair have met 18 times since and Williams has won every one of those matches.
In fact Sharapova has taken just three sets off Williams since 2004, and none in their last seven matches since 2013.
What are the pundits saying?
Annabel Croft knows the womens game like the back of her hand and she admits the pair just dont really like each other.
She said: It seems like its not often in the womens game we look forward to a heavyweight clash.
We so often look torwards to them in the mens game but I think the womens tour has lacked some of those real clashes.
I think its not just due to the tennis and the kind of rivalry - and there is that doubt whether it is a true rivalry because of the weight of results for Serena in the head-to-heads over thet last 14 years - but its also because of the characters.
They just dont really like each other.
That adds that extra spice..
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