Maria Sharapova has spoken brutally honestly about the current generation of WTA stars, admitting to telling Serena Williams that she is much better than them.
Millions of fans worldwide remain devastated after Serena Williams bid farewell to tennis at the US Open after being defeated by Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round of the US Open.
Williams' fans in New York gave her a rousing and memorable reception. Although she is now officially retired, the 23-time Grand Slam champion did not rule out returning to the sport one day.
Some may have feared Williams would not get a farewell during her 12 months on the sidelines with an injury until this year's grasscourt season. She was out for that length of time after falling at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships.
Sharapova has been retired since early 2020. Her impressive career included stunning Williams in the 2004 final at Wimbledon at the age of just 17, comprehensively winning 6-1, 6-4.
However, Williams utterly dominated Sharapova after 2004, winning 19 consecutive matches against the five-time Grand Slam champion. The Russian did not win another match against her after 2004.
That means Sharapova is uniquely placed to understand how good Williams is. Speaking as a pundit during Ons Jabeur's victory against Caroline Garcia, the 35-year-old revealed a conversation with the 23-time Grand Slam champion that included telling her she is much better than current players.
“It was amazing to see Serena’s run and the glory and the gracious tenacity as she carried through to the end of her career. We spoke about it at the net last year during this time of year and I said no disrespect to this generation but you are so much better and you need to go out there, so I’m glad that she had a chance here,"
Williams' level was extraordinary in her prime, but fellow tennis legend Chris Evert is unsure whether she is the most accomplished female player ever.