"Serena Williams has an almost arrogant look on the court as if she were viewing you from a great height" - When Maria Sharapova revealed one of Williams' tactics

When Maria Sharapova burst onto the scene in the early 2000s as a teenager, the tennis world saw her as a neck-to-neck competitor for the already-established Serena Williams.

The belief grew stronger after the Russian won two of their first three clashes on the tour, including the 2004 Wimbledon final and the finals of the 2004 WTA Championships. However, that was the last time Sharapova tasted victory against Williams.

The two players met each other on 19 more occasions, with the American legend winning all of the clashes and finishing with an exceedingly positive head-to-head record of 20-2.

In the 2004 Wimbledon final, 17-year-old Sharapova was up against six-time Grand Slam winner Williams, who was chasing a third consecutive title in London. The underdog stunned the tennis world as she beat the American convincingly 6-1, 6-4.

In 2017, Sharapova published her autobiography, Unstoppable: My Life So Far, in which she revealed one of Williams' tactics. Reflecting on the match, the Russian stated that in order to stay mentally stronger, the legendary player had an "almost arrogant look" while playing and that she saw her opponent as a nobody.

“Serena Williams has an almost arrogant look on the court, a kind of detachment as if she were viewing you from a great height," Sharapova wrote, adding, "I recognize it because I have a similar look of my own. It’s gamesmanship, her way of telling the opponent, “You have no chance.” Usually, it works but not always, especially if the opponent has the same attitude and carries herself in the same way.”

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"Serena had everything on the line, I had nothing to lose" - Maria Sharapova on 2004 Wimbledon final

Maria Sharapova (L) and Serena Williams

Maria Sharapova further wrote about her first-ever Grand Slam meeting with Serena Williams and the kind of expectations fans had from the two players. The five-time Major winner stated that while there was absolutely no pressure on her, the iconic American player was expected to win in straight sets.

“Serena was number one in the world, a returning champion. Everyone wanted something from her. Everyone expected her to win. If she did win, she’d therefore be doing nothing more than what had been expected. There was little upside and an abyss of downside. 'How could she lose to … what’s that girl’s name again?'" Maria Sharapova wrote.

"And me? I was no one from nowhere. I was supposed to go down in straight sets. Just being here, years ahead of schedule, was my victory. I was lucky to be on the same stage, with John McEnroe calling the match from the broadcasting booth. In other words, while Serena had everything on the line, I had nothing to lose,” she added.