"Serena Williams should talk about her achievements, rather than getting controversy" - When Maria Sharapova hit back at American over 'boring' remark

Maria Sharapova once fired back at Serena Williams after being called 'boring' by her arch-rival.

Despite the one-sided nature of their head-to-head record, Williams and Sharapova developed one of the most compelling and popular rivalries in the sport. While they have exchanged only kind words in recent years, the fierce and contentious nature of their on-court rivalry often spilled over into their off-court remarks during their time on tour.

This dynamic was on display during Serena Williams' interview with Rolling Stone magazine back in 2013, where she took a dig at the Russian's interview style, labeling it as 'boring.' The American also claimed that Sharapova was romantically involved with a 'guy with a black heart,' allegedly alluding to Grigor Dimitrov.

"She begins every interview with 'I'm so happy. I'm so lucky' - it's so boring. She's still not going to be invited to the cool parties. And, hey, if she wants to be with the guy with a black heart, go for it," Serena Williams said (via The St. Augustine Record).

Maria Sharapova hit back at Williams during a pre-tournament press conference at the 2013 Wimbledon Championships. While the Russian acknowledged the mutual respect between them, she also argued that Williams ought to focus on her accomplishments instead of resorting to such statements to court attention and generate controversy.

"At the end of the day, we have a tremendous amount of respect for what we do on the court. I just think she should be talking about her accomplishments, her achievements, rather than everything else that's just getting attention and controversy," Sharapova said.

A brief look at Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova's rivalry at Grand Slam tournaments

Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova

Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova locked horns in 22 tour-level encounters over the course of their careers, with Williams claiming a commanding 20 wins to just two losses. The duo also met nine times at Grand Slam tournaments.

A then-17-year-old Sharapova triumphed in their first-ever encounter at a Major, stunning the American 6-1, 6-4 in the 2004 Wimbledon Championships final. However, Williams went on to dominate their rivalry at Grand Slams, triumphing in each of their eight subsequent encounters.

The American narrowly edged past Sharapova in the 2005 Australian Open semifinals in three sets. Subsequently, she defeated the Russian in the final of the Melbourne Slam in 2007, winning 6-1, 6-2.

Serena Williams continued her dominance at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, securing a 7-6(9), 6-4 victory. She then prevented Sharapova from defending her title at the 2013 French Open, defeating her in straight sets in the final.

The duo went on to lock horns at the Australian Open and Wimbledon Championships in 2015, as well as the 2016 edition of the Melbourne Slam, each of which resulted in a straight-sets victory for the 23-time Major champion. The American also dominated their last-ever encounter at the 2019 US Open, triumphing 6-1, 6-1.