Serena Williams' savvy and moxie again came shining through on Tuesday when she refused to be lured into a battle of words with young upstart Sloane Stephens.
Excerpts from an upcoming ESPN The Magazine were made public this week were Stephens blasted Williams as “unfriendly” and “unkind” to her ever since her shocking upset of the world’s top player at the Australian Open in January.
“I don’t really know. I don’t have many thoughts,” Williams told reporters of Stephens charges after beating Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-2, 7-5 in the second round of the Madrid Open in Spain. “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.”
Stephens had told the magazine that Williams stopped communicating with her after her quarterfinal round victory and had even stopped following her on Twitter. “Like, seriously, people should know,” Stephens told ESPN. “They think she’s so friendly and she’s so this and she’s so that---no, that’s not reality.”
But on Tuesday, the champ's words were so calming that they even prompted a more tempered response from the just turned 20-year-old.“Guilty of being naïve,” she tweeted. “Much respect 4 @serenawilliams , a champ & the GOAT. We spoke, we’re good. ONWARD! #lifelessons“
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