Maria Sharapova enjoyed many memorable moments throughout her decorated tennis career.
Sharapova won five Grand Slam titles in her career, before officially retiring from tennis in February 2020.
The former world number one is set to be honoured for her achievements later this year, with Sharapova being inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame.
One of Sharapova’s greatest career successes is winning Wimbledon, and she has now revealed which of her matches at the grass court major is the most memorable to her.
Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty ImagesMaria Sharapova recalls the most memorable match she ever played at Wimbledon
In just her second appearance at Wimbledon in 2004, a 17-year-old Sharapova was already the 13th seed.
Despite her potential being clear to see, not many people were expecting what was about to unfold for Sharapova at Wimbledon.
Sharapova would beat the likes of Lindsay Davenport, Daniela Hantuchova and Ai Sugiyama to reach her first Grand Slam final.
However, the odds were stacked up against her in the final, as she would play two-time defending Wimbledon champion Serena Williams.
Sharapova would stun Williams with a 6-1 6-4 victory to win her first Grand Slam title.
When looking back on her career, Sharapova answered some questions on Hot Ones, including revealing her most memorable match of all time.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Sharapova explained why her first major final against Williams stood out the most to her.
“I would say the first Grand Slam final is ultimately the most memorable match in my career,” said Sharapova. “It came at a very young age, I was 17 years old and it was in London at Wimbledon.
“The whole world was watching and I was playing against Serena Williams, and everything it felt like I should have just been happy to be there.
“But I was so fearless, I loved the occasion and everything about it. I loved the quiet moments and the English crowd. I loved the strawberries and cream before every match I had, even though I was not supposed to eat the cream!
“But it is always the memory which comes to mind because I least expected it to come then and I was so tough. I went for it.”
Maria Sharapova vs Serena Williams Head-to-head
Sharapova would go on to beat Williams again that year, taking a 2-1 lead in the head-to-head against the then six-time Grand Slam champion.
However, this is where the rivalry between Williams and Sharapova started to change, as the American sought revenge from her Wimbledon final defeat.
After Williams lost two of the first three matches against Sharapova, she would go on to win their next 19 consecutive meetings, including two Grand Slam finals.
This would conclude at the 2019 US Open, where Williams would beat Sharapova for the loss of just two games.
Williams and Sharapova were never the best of friends during their tennis careers, but they now appear to have a better relationship after retiring from the sport.
Sharapova will be inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame next month, with it almost inevitable that Williams will join her at some point in the near future.