"You get the sense that they don't like each other when they're on court" - when Chris Evert commented on rivalry between Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams
Former World No. 1 Chris Evert feels the rivalry between Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams during their playing days, although one-sided, was very intense. The pair met 22 times in a decade-and-a-half of their playing careers, with Williams boasting a 20-2 win record.
On 'The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast' in 2018, Evert drew parallels between the Williams-Sharapova rivalry to that of her and Martina Navratilova.
Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert's rivalry is widely regarded as one of the best in tennis history. They faced each other a whopping 80 times, with Navratilova leading the head-to-head 43-37 and 36-24 in the finals. However, in the early stages of their rivalry, the win-loss record was skewed in Evert's favor until Navratilova flipped it around.
Speaking on the Williams-Sharapova rivalry, Chris Evert said that although it was evident they disliked each other on court, they enjoyed the rivalry too. She also lauded them for being the toughest mentally at the time.
"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," Evert said.
"Both of them are so intense and they're so opposite" - Chris Evert on Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams
Serena Williams called the shots when the duo met in Grand Slams, with Williams leading 8-1 in Grand Slam matches and 3-1 in finals. Their last meeting in a Grand Slam final was at the 2015 Australian Open and their last meeting in a Grand Slam match was at the 2019 US Open first round when Williams steamrollered past Sharapova 6-1, 6-1.
Chris Evert said she loved the rivalry for the contrast in styles, the players' personalities and their personas.
"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. You know, they're just in their person. It's just very much like Martina and I, you know, it's like very, there's such a contrast and personality and style, etc," she added.
Chris Evert added that the extra layer of competitiveness was mesmerizing to watch and and that it was hard to be a commentator when the duo played as she wanted to be a spectator and watch their intense encounters.
"You get that added element of and a layer of competitiveness that is like, it's just mesmerizing to watch it. It's hard for me to commentate when those two play because I kind of want to be a spectator and watch them," Chris Evert added.