Their rivalry — which, truth be told, is not much of a rivalry, considering how one-sided it’s been in Williams’ favor — resumes Monday in the fourth round at the French Open. The most anticipated match of the tournament will be their 22nd head-to-head meeting; Williams has won 19 so far, including 18 in a row.
“There is a lot of things in her game that she’s done much better than I have,” Sharapova said. “Numbers don’t lie.”
It’s their first match since the Australian Open quarterfinals in 2016. In the intervening time, Sharapova has served a 15-month doping suspension, returning to the tour in April 2017.