Maria Sharapova Makes Shocking Serena Williams, In-Game Appearance Revelation

Former WTA no. 1 player Maria Sharapova knows how to stay focused during matches as well as where Serena Williams belongs in the greatest of all-time list.

Willams and Sharapova are considered two of the greatest women’s tennis players of all time. Throughout their illustrious careers, the pair faced each other 22 times, with Williams winning the majority of the matches. Nevertheless, many are still convinced that Williams vs. Sharapova was one of the most epic rivalries in sports history.

Reflecting on the 23-time grand slam titlist’s career, Sharapova is convinced that Williams is “definitely” one of the greatest athletes to ever grace the court.

“I do think Serena [Williams] will definitely be somewhere on top of [G.O.A.T.] that list,” Sharapova recently told Bethenny Frankel on the “Just B” podcast when squeezed to comment about the greatest of all time.

“Her achievements are incredible,” she continued. “She’s won over 20 Grand Slams, and is still competing for more.”

Aside from exceptional athletic abilities, Sharapova has often been complimented for her unique beauty. But according to the 33-year-old, she rarely cared about how she looked, especially while in the middle of a match and the game is on the line.

“I never felt more comfortable than when there was sweat and tears in the third hour of a match, in the finals of a Grand Slam," the Russian superstar revealed. "I couldn’t care less how my hair looked, whether my skin was glowing or about my pigmentation. I put all of that aside because what truly mattered, and what I loved bringing out—and what I genuinely believed was beautiful—was showcasing strength from within.”

"I just saw straight, and I was on a mission, and I just wanted to perform,” she continued. “I always felt proudest when I could showcase that inner mental strength. That, to me, was beautiful.”

Last year, Sharapova announced her retirement, finishing her career with five grand slam titles to her name.

But unlike other retired athletes, “Sibirskaya Sirena” admitted that she doesn’t really prohibit herself from consuming what her taste buds crave.

“If you’re constantly saying ‘no’ to yourself if you have a drink or chocolate in front of you, and every single day you’re saying, ‘no,’ you’re wasting more energy on that as opposed to just giving yourself the occasional comfort," Sharapova told Frankel, whose Skinnygirl brand caters to women yearning for a healthy way to indulge in cocktails.