When the 17-year-old Maria Sharapova defeated Serena Williams to claim the Wimbledon ladies' singles title in 2004, it’s unlikely she recognised the long-term challenge that would accompany her momentous achievement: coming so early in her career, that Grand Slam breakthrough was the victory by which Sharapova would always be measured.
So when the No.4 seed notched her 17th consecutive loss against Williams to exit the 2015 Wimbledon semi-final 6-2, 6-4, the fiercely competitive Sharapova wasn’t about to hide her disappointment.
“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,” she said.
If it was an assessment that seemed initially harsh, it was at least accompanied by a reminder that Sharapova’s status as a former champion feeds her famous tennis ambition. “That’s what keeps me going forward,” she pointed out.
And while Wimbledon 2015 didn’t quite live up to Sharapova’s own high expectations, it was at least a step in the right direction.
Marking the first time since 2011 that she’d progressed to the final four at the All England Club, it also proved a pleasing progression after illness hindered her French Open campaign and delayed her start to the grass-court season.
“It's never easy to be the one that's on the losing end of an event, especially at Wimbledon,” she surmised. “But to look at things in perspective, to see where I was just a few weeks ago, I had no idea what my result would be here.”
After progressing through the first four rounds without the loss of a set, Sharapova survived a tough three-set quarter-final against Coco Vandeweghe. And even if they were hard gained, there were undoubtedly lessons as Sharapova exited in the semi-final.
Admitting that she’ll need to do “a lot more than I’m doing” to be competitive against Williams, Sharapova pointed to the greater depth Serena displayed in their 20th career meeting.
“I think one of the things she does extremely well is to take her from a defence position into the offense again,” added the Russian. “I was not able to do that.”
I always expect her to play the best tennis against myself and a few other elite players
It helps for Sharapova to understand that a dramatically lopsided record against Serena demands the best tennis from the world No.1. “I always expect her to play the best tennis against myself and a few other elite players. She does always come up with great tennis. You have to be able not to just produce your best tennis, but more,” she said.
But it doesn’t mean the Russian will be implementing dramatic changes to her playing style against Serena. “I'm not going to come out and become a serve‑and‑volleyer or a chip‑and‑charge type of player,” she said. “You're not going to see that from me.”
The one area that could require some focus is Sharapova’s positioning on Serena’s serve, the top seed firing down a damaging 13 aces in their 79-minute encounter. “I can definitely do a better job of that. There's no doubt,” she said.
As for her own serve? Despite the six double faults that added to the challenge against her toughest opponent, Sharapova doesn’t appear to be panicking.
Explaining simply that her ball toss has changed with every one of her five Grand Slam victories, the Russian was naturally drawn into a conversation about the career-threatening shoulder injury in 2008 that prompted that dramatic requirement.
“Of course shoulder surgery impacts the way you play or the adjustments you have to make. There's absolutely no doubt about it,” she said, before adding that major-winning colleagues Li Na and Serena, similarly beset by various injuries, also managed physical modifications.
“As professional athletes we always have to make adjustments in our game.”
Such perspective points to an enduring spirit.
From that joyful young champion emerged a seasoned competitor. And despite suffering another setback against Serena, the same Sharapova will return with her confidence intact.
