By: Arya Thakkar
Image Credit:Reddit
While most of the players were eager to see the young Williams sisters and learn from them, Maria Sharapova just wanted to stand out in a crowd.
Rather than admiring their intellect, Maria was in constant pursuit of outsmarting them on the tennis court.
In her book Unstoppable: My Life So Far, Sharapova recalls a day when the renowned sibling pair visited the school to demonstrate their abilities on the tennis court.
There was a period when the Russian tennis star used to train dedicatedly and determinedly to beat the Williams sisters.
When Maria was young and practising at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, she refused to watch the Williams sisters play when they attended the same tennis academy after creating a reputation for themselves.
Nick Bollettieri said in an interview, "My relationship with Venus, Serena, and Maria, holy mackerel, they were different...Maria Sharapova, you had to kill her to beat her. In her mind, nothing was ever over."
Though Maria has a better record against Venus, Serena has dominated Sharapova with 20 wins and only two losses.
However, the Williams sisters and Maria have a close bond and respect each other as athletes, despite their rivalry in the past.
"I Will Never Lose to That Little B**ch Again": Serena Williams. Story of Serena-Sharapova rivalry! Check it out!