Iga Swiatek admits she was "shocked" to see Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova resolving their "tense relationship" and being on good terms now, and the Pole adds it is a very positive example and definitely something that can serve as a lesson.
Already in the mid-2000s - shortly after a 17-year-old Sharapova upset Williams in the 2004 Wimbledon final and also later that year in the WTA Finals - it didn't take long before certain stuff about the rivalry was being rumored. As the years went by, the rumors of the two not liking each other - not as players but also as individuals - only increased. On some instances, the American and the Russian directly and subtly shaded each other.
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However, since retiring from pro tennis, the two tennis greats started slowly changing the tone about each other. And it all led to Williams introducing Sharapova at the Russian's Hall of Fame ceremony last weekend.
Swiatek asked about Williams, Sharapova becoming friends after their careers finished
Honestly it's great. It's a shame obviously that it didn't happen before when they were on tour together. I just thought their relationship was so tense that I'm just shocked that they managed to work through it," Swiatek said.
"I guess if you have good intentions, you can work through everything, you know. So for sure l'm happy to see that, I think having that appreciation from your biggest rival, I think it must be a great feeling. So Maria also deserves that, and Serena, she's great. So they're both great.
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"I was just happy to see them kind of together, because tennis, I mean, I feel like we all should be kind of united and going towards one goal as players, even though we're competing against each other, and that's one of the examples of that.
Meanwhile, Swiatek didn't wait for her career to finish to become friends with Aryna Sabalenka. A few years ago, their relationship was nonexistent. But after agreeing to practice together for the first time last year and filming a TikTok together, the Pole and the Belarusian figured out that they could get along and since then they have spoken positively about each other several times.
