Maybe if I was British, I’d be on front page of the paper” – When Maria Sharapova took a dig at the media after Wimbledon SF loss to Serena Williams

Maria Sharapova once took a sly dig at the British media after suffering a resounding loss to Serena Williams at the 2015 Wimbledon Championships. The Russian seemed frustrated as she faced a barrage of questions regarding her poor record against Williams.

Sharapova took the tennis world by storm when she won her maiden Grand Slam title at the 2004 Wimbledon Championships. At just 17 years of age, she stunned the top seed and two-time defending champion Serena Williams in the final with a dominant 6-1, 6-4 victory.

The Russian’s unexpected and thrilling win raised high hopes for the duo to develop a closely contested rivalry. However, any such rivalry failed to materialize, as Williams dominated their head-to-head record, triumphing in 16 of their next 17 encounters.

Maria Sharapova was aiming to reverse her fortunes when she took on Serena Williams in a highly anticipated semifinal clash at the 2015 Wimbledon Championships. However, the American dashed Sharapova’s hopes, securing a clinical 6-2, 6-4 victory to record her 17th consecutive win over the Russian.

In her post-match press conference, Sharapova was questioned about what she needed to improve to become a competitive threat to Williams. In response, Sharapova curtly admitted that she needed to play significantly better.

“A lot more than I’m doing,” Maria Sharapova said.
Amid the incessant questions about her poor record against the American, Maria Sharapova hit out at the British media. She claimed that, if she were British, her semifinal finish would be considered.

incredible” and would earn her a spot on the front page of newspapers.
“I think for many others, maybe if I was British, a semifinal would be incredible. I’d be on the front page of the paper, I know that,” she said.

However, the Russian asserted that she had higher expectations of herself and disclosed that it was disappointing not to win, especially since she believed her level was high enough to be the champion.

But I expect myself to be a champion of these events, and it’s disappointing to come out as a loser because I know my level can be there, and my level can be at the point of holding these championship trophies. I know that that’s what keeps me going forward,” she added.

During the same press conference, Maria Sharapova asserted that Serena Williams consistently produced her best tennis when facing players like herself and Victoria Azarenka, admitting that they weren’t able to do the same in return.

“I think when she plays against me, she certainly does that. That’s why she’s in the position she’s in. I don’t think it’s a secret. I think she knows against certain players she needs to bring out her best,” Maria Sharapova said.
“The way that she plays Azarenka, myself, maybe a few others, she has to bring it on the line. We know we have to. We’re not able to do that as consistent as she does,” she added.

The American validated Sharapova’s observation, disclosing that she had to be “really focused” when competing against a player of the Russian’s caliber.
“Well, it’s never easy to beat such a great player who’s had such a wonderful career. So, you know, I don’t know. Whenever you play someone that you know, has beaten you before, you really get really focused, I think. That’s what I do,” Serena Williams said in her post-match press conference.

“Whenever I know I have to play Maria, I know I have to be focused because she wasn’t the best in the world for no reason,” she added.
Serena Williams continued to assert her dominance over Maria Sharapova in their remaining matches on tour, ultimately concluding their rivalry with a 20-2 lead in their head-to-head record.
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