"Sorry, I didn't know who Judy Murray is... It's better to ask her": When Maria Sharapova was left stumped by Andy Murray's mother's 'tea bag' analogy
Maria Sharapova was once puzzled by Andy Murray's mother Judy comparing her to a tea bag. Judy made the analogy after the Russian reached the semifinals of the 2014 French Open, following a tough match against Garbine Muguruza.
Sharapova defeated Ksenia Pervak, Tsvetana Pironkova, Paula Ormaechea, and Samantha Stosur to reach the quarterfinals, where she faced off against Muguruza. The duo battled fiercely, giving each other a tough time.
Sharapova struggled initially, losing the first four games and conceding the first set. However, she found her rhythm with an early break in the second set. From there, the Russian maintained her momentum, leaving Muguruza unable to mount a comeback. The match concluded when the Spaniard netted a forehand on her opponent's second match point. The final score was 1-6, 7-5, 6-1.
Maria Sharapova and Garbine Muguruza's intense battle drew the attention of Andy Murray's mother and former coach, Judy. The Brit shared her thoughts on X (formerly Twitter), writing:
"Sharapova is like a tea bag. Put her into hot water and ul find out how strong she is."
During a press conference following her win over Muguruza, Sharapova was asked about Judy's comments. She initially didn't recognize who Judy was and admitted that she didn't understand the comment.
"Who is that? Okay, sorry, I didn't know who Judy Murray is. I love tea. I am a big tea drinker. I don't understand what she means," the five-time Grand Slam champion said.
After learning that Judy was Andy Murray's mother, Maria Sharapova praised the "creative" nature of the veteran coach.
"That's great," Sharapova said. "She's very creative. I guess she could have put it many different ways, and she chose the English version. I think it's better to ask her than me. Obviously, she has a better sense of what's going on out there."
Maria Sharapova won her 2nd and last French Open title in 2014
After defeating Garbine Muguruza in the quarterfinals, Maria Sharapova went on to overcome Eugenie Bouchard and Simona Halep, ultimately lifting her second trophy at the tournament, adding to her previous win in 2012.
Sharapova later shared in a press conference that the victory was incredibly "emotional" for her. Notably, it was also her last Grand Slam title.
"It's such an emotional victory for me in my career," the Russian said. "You know, I have been in many Grand Slam finals, and every one feels very different. I feel like as I get older I appreciate those situations so much more."
"When it's over, after it being such an emotional match, everything just kind of lets go. You just realize you won another Grand Slam, and Roland Garros at that," she added.