Venus Williams revealed “the back story” behind her Met Gala photo with sister Serena and longtime rival Maria Sharapova.
During a fan Q&A on Instagram, Venus was asked about “the infamous Maria photo” that was taken at Monday’s Met Ball — and the truth is, there’s no bad blood between the Williams sisters and Sharapova.
“First of all, Serena and I were talking about Maria the day before. We were walking and we were like, ‘We wish Maria was still playing,’ and we saw her [at the Met Gala] and we both told her separately, ‘We were just talking about you yesterday. We wish you you were still on tour,’” Venus said.
“We were so happy to see each other. There was laughing, there were stories and there was a photo.”
“So the back story is that even though us players compete really hard on the court for years, we still respect and love each other. I love Maria, and if you want to come back Maria, we’ve asked you to come and do it,” Venus explained, adding, “That goes for you too, Caroline.”
Venus was likely referring to Danish tennis legend Caroline Wozniacki, who retired in January 2020, following a third-round loss in the Australian Open.
Venus and Serena Williams snapped a surprising picture with Maria Sharapova at the 2021 Met Gala.
Venus and Serena Williams snapped a surprising picture with Maria Sharapova at the 2021 Met Gala.
Instagram
Sharapova, a five-time grand slam winner, also retired in 2020.
Fans were surprised to see the Williams sisters with Sharapova, mostly due to Serena’s well-documented rivalry with the Russian tennis star.
Their on-court strife began in 2004, when Sharapova beat Serena in a shocking upset at Wimbledon. Serena never lost to Sharapova again, winning their next 19 matches.
Serena Williams is greeted by Maria Sharapova after she defeats her
Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova embrace after their 2019 US Open match.
Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Sharapova later said the pair were “not friends,” and even wrote about it in her 2017 autobiography, “Unstoppable: My Life So Far.”
The trio – Venus, Serena and Sharapova – was also spotted chatting in a bathroom in the background of a selfie snapped by rapper Saweetie.
