In an interview with ESPN The Magazine, Sloane Stephens put Serena Williams on blast saying that their relationship has deteriorated since she beat Serena in January and that Serena unfollowed her on Twitter and put out a tweet that she believed was directed at her — it said, “I made you.”
Well Serena has responded. Check out what she had to say about the situation…
Via CHRIS CHASE at USAToday:
In her first public comments since Sloane Stephens criticized her in a magazine piece, Serena Williams effectively squashed any beef by praising the 20-year-old American and saying she’ll always be rooting for her.
Shoot, and here we were gearing up for a good ol’ fashioned tennis beef.
Stephens said Serena ignored her after the then-teenager beat her at the Australian Open. She said people who think Serena is friendly don’t know the real story.
Serena was asked a question about the comments following a straight sets win at the Madrid Open:
Q. Recently Sloane Stephens made some comments about you. I’m not sure if you’re aware. If you are, what are your thoughts on them?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think a lot of people are aware. I don’t really know. I don’t have many thoughts. I’m a big Sloane Stephens fan and always have been. I’ve always said that I think she can be the best in the world. I’ll always continue to think that and always be rooting for her.
So I really just always wish her — and anyone, really, especially from America — the best. We don’t have that many American players, so it’s always exciting to see so many young players doing so well.
It was a perfect response. No one looks good in a war of soundbites, particularly when you’re the greatest tennis player in the world and the shots are coming from a 20-year-old who’s never been ranked inside the top 15.
