Maria Sharapova Makes Admission on Serena Williams, Wimbledon 21 Years Later

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Vivek Devane | Last updated Aug 23, 2025 10:50 PM ET

Maria Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam champion, was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame earlier this year, alongside legendary American doubles champions Bob and Mike Bryan.

In an interview with Patrick McEnroe for the Tennisworthy podcast, Sharapova recalled the finer details of her historic victory against Serena Williams at the Wimbledon championships in 2004.

Wimbledon is often considered the epitome of the tennis tournaments, and Sharapova had the chance to win it in 2004. However, standing in her path was the defending champion and one of the greatest players ever to have graced the court.

To make matters worse, Sharapova woke up feeling sick on the day of the finals and was not sure she could even compete at her highest level.

“To get to that stage of the finals, because I'd never been in that position before, I didn't have any experience to rely on. I could only help, like, make new memories you know, I helped shape my own memory in that moment,” Sharapova recalled.

“And I woke up that morning, not feeling very well,” she continued. “I was under the weather and I remember calling my mom, who wasn't there with me and I think she was a little superstitious. She didn't want to come down for the final and I was just saying, I'm in this, you know, such a big moment of my career, and I'm not feeling great.”

Maria Sharapova Grinded Through Sickness

“It was kind of like making an excuse for myself. And I remember getting to the courts that morning after not having that great a breakfast, and, you know, had a tough chat with my dad, he's like, you're at the biggest stage of your life, you got to put everything aside,” said Sharapova.

She also recalled having a very similar conversation with her coach, and how he asked her to put on "horse blinders" because everyone's going to want a piece of her. He asked her to shut out everything else and just focus on the next two or three hours of that match.

“And I went onto that court like as if I'd been there for so long, and almost surprised myself by the level, by the toughness, by how it was almost like I didn't care where I was, even though I deeply, deeply cared,” Sharapova recalled.

“But I could have been on any other court in the world. And I was very competitive. I was very driven and I was playing one of the biggest competitors and champions of all time, and I just had an ability to dial it back, and to not make it so grand. And I think that's what helped shape that victory,” said the five-time grand slam champion.

Sharapova realized the mammoth presence of Serena on the other side of the net could be minimized, if she just focused her attention on the next few points. “So much can change so quickly in a very short period of time, and I recognized it in that match, because I knew I was playing against a former champion that was incredibly resilient, and that if I took my, you know, my head off the ball, then I was going to lose that one.”

Sharapova also mentioned that Williams was the one who was under pressure, while she had nothing to lose.

“It just taught me to stay in it, to hang in there. But it was also a big moment, because as a defending champion, she was facing someone that's never been in that position before, and I was very young and very resilient and fearless. And I think that played to my advantage,” she added.

The victory against Williams instantly caught the world’s attention and launched her career to new heights. She went on to capture four more slams after that and has led a successful career, both on and off the court.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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