"I had a small talent and my dad had a big vision; at 17, I was playing the finals of Wimbledon against Serena Williams" - Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova shed light on how the vision and guidance of her father catapulted her into a Wimbledon final against Serena Williams while she was still a teenager.

The five-time Grand Slam champion opened up on how she moved to the United States from Russia along with her father, while also revealing that a lot was on the line when she was up against the defending champion at Wimbledon.

Over the course of a discussion on Bloomberg Live, the Russian ace recalled she was unaware of the high stakes involved during the contest even as she focused only on the match.

"I was born in Russia and went to the United States when I was a 5-year-old with my father. I had a small talent and my dad had a big vision and I followed his steps and his guidance," Sharapova told Bloomberg's Jason Kelly.

"At 17, I was playing the finals of Wimbledon on the biggest stage of my career essentially against Serena Williams. There was a lot on the line. But as a teenager you're not really aware of what's on the line except a tennis match and perhaps a ball where you get to wear a nice dress," the 36-year-old added.

Maria Sharapova, who completed a career Grand Slam, also stressed during the interview, that her maiden Wimbledon triumph was a lesson in partnerships and winning.

"It was a lesson in partnerships and winning. Going back to New York and going through the media rounds, it was the moment when I realised that sport was more than just about winning and losing. That this was a business, that you walk out on to the stage and you have a platform and you have a voice," she said.

Sharapova defeated Simona Halep to register her last Grand Slam triumph at the French Open in 2014.

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Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams played each other 22 times over a 15-year time span

Williams and Sharapova at the Australian Open

Prior to the memorable Wimbledon title win in 2004, Maria Sharapova had lost to Serena Williams when the two first crossed swords at the Miami Masters earlier that year.

The 6-1, 6-4 victory over the Wimbledon defending champion was to be the only time the Russian got past Williams in a Grand Slam.

After a win at the 2004 WTA Championships, Sharapova prevailed against Williams one last time before a whopping 19 defeats on the trot.

Following wins in the semifinals and the final of the 2005 and 2007 Australian Open, Serena Williams kept up the winning momentum by defeating Sharapova in Miami and Charleston.

Maria Sharapova failed to get past Williams in the Round of 16 clash at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships while also ending up losing in Stanford and Madrid in 2011 and 2012.

In the final of the women's singles tennis event at the 2012 London Olympics, Serena Williams inflicted a straight sets, 6-0, 6-1, defeat on her rival. Following victories in the finals at Miami, Madrid, and at the French Open, Williams had the upper hand over Sharapova throughout 2013.

After a notable loss in the 2015 Australian Open final, Maria Sharapova took on Serena Williams one last time at the 2019 US Open, but again failed to change the script.

The overall lopsided career head-to-head reads 20-2 in favour of Serena Williams.