Serena Williams Has 'No Negative Feelings' Toward Maria Sharapova As Rivalry Renews

Ahead of their fourth round clash at the French Open, Serena Williams claimed she has "no negative feelings" towards Maria Sharapova, although she was disappointed at excerpts from the latter's autobiography.

Williams and Sharapova are set to renew their rivalry Monday as they will meet each other in competitive action for the first time since the 2016 Australian Open quarterfinal.

The duo are both looking to get back to their best and have performed well in the event so far, as Williams is featuring in her first Grand Slam since her maternity leave while Sharapova is still looking for her first major title since returning from a 15-month doping suspension last year.

There is also an added narrative to their upcoming meeting due to excerpts from Sharapova's autobiography 'Unstoppable: My Life So Far' that was released last year.

While Williams dominated their head-to-head meetings, winning the last 18 of their 21 match-ups, it was in 2004 where her Russian counterpart burst on to the scene and got her only two wins against the American, one of them notably being in the final of Wimbledon.

"I think Serena hated me for being the skinny kid who beat her, against all odds, at Wimbledon," Sharapova wrote in her autobiography. "I think she hated me for seeing her at her lowest moment. But mostly I think she hated me for hearing her cry. She's never forgiven me for it."

Williams found the excerpts "a little bit disappointing" as she finally responded to them at length following her straight-set third round win over Germany's Julia Gorges on Saturday.

"I think the book was 100 percent hearsay, which was a little bit disappointing," Williams said, as per BBC. "I have cried in the locker room many times after a loss, and that's what I have seen a lot of people do. I think it's normal. I think if anything, it shows the passion and the desire and, you know, the will that you have to want to go out there and do the best."

"I think what happens there should definitely maybe stay there and not necessarily talk about it in a not-so-positive way in a book. I don't have any negative feelings towards her, which again, was a little disappointing to see in that hearsay book. A lot of people always assume that I feel a different way and it's not true."

"As a fan, I wanted to read the book and I was really excited for it to come out and I was really happy for her. And then the book was a lot about me. I was surprised about that, to be honest. I was, like: 'Oh, okay, I didn't expect to be reading a book about me, that wasn't necessarily true'. I didn't know she looked up to me that much, or was so involved in my career."

In a rare change, Williams will likely be the underdog against Sharapova on Monday, which is something the 36-year-old acknowledged as she looked forward to another test in her quest to return to her previous levels.

"She's probably a favorite in this match, for sure," Williams added. "She's been playing for over a year now. I just started. But I think this will be another test. I think this is just one of her best surfaces, and she always does really, really well here."