"She has to change something about her attitude" - When 16-year-old Serena Williams did not shake hands with opponent after Wimbledon exit
Serena Williams' inaugural appearance at Wimbledon ended after she was forced to retire due to an injury.
The American was unseeded at the grass-court Major and booked her place in the third round following straight-set wins over Laura Golarsa and Mirjana Lucic. Here, she was up against Virginia Ruano Pascual.
The Spaniard won the opening set 7-5 and led 4-1 in the second before Serena Williams retired from the match due to a calf injury she suffered in the first set. The American left the court without even shaking hands with Pascual.
The Spaniard was asked by a reporter about beating a player who many thought would become the World No. 1. She responded by stating that Serena needed to change her attitude if she was to reach the top, referring to the American not shaking hands with her after the match.
"If everybody said she is going to be No. 1, I guess she has to change something about her attitude,” she said. “A player cannot go out on the court this way, obviously without shaking hands with the winner.”
Serena Williams claimed that she forgot to shake hands with Virginia Ruano Pascual as she never had to retire from a match before.
''Wow, I forgot,'' the American said. ''I never had to quit during a match before."
Serena Williams went on to win the mixed doubles event at Wimbledon 1998 with Max Mirnyi as her partner. The duo won the tournament by beating Mahesh Bhupathi and Mirjana Lucic 6-4, 6-4 in the final.
As for Virginia Ruano Pascual, she was beaten 6-3, 6-1 by Venus Williams in the fourth round of the women's singles event.
Serena Williams and Virginia Ruano Pascual locked horns twice
Serena Williams and Virginia Ruano Pascual locked horns in two singles matches, with their head-to-head tied at 1-1.
After their meeting at Wimbledon 1998, the two met 11 years later in the second round of the French Open in 2009. Williams thrashed the Spaniard 6-2, 6-0 to reach the third round.
Serena Williams and Virginia Ruano Pascual faced one another in two Grand Slam doubles finals, with the former partnering her sister Venus Williams while the latter teamed up with Paola Suarez.
The Williams sisters beat Pascual and Suarez 6-2, 7-5 in the Wimbledon women's doubles final in 2002 while triumphing 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the title clash of the 2003 Australian Open.