2018 WTA Rivalries to look forward to: No. 1

As much as Serena Williams has been missed on the WTA tour, her absence has produced some intriguing plot lines and scintillating rivalries that could continue into next season. Baseline will countdown the favorite rivalries of 2017—and here’s hoping we see more chapters in 2018.

See No. 2 here.

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Head-to-head record: Williams leads 19-2

The last person Maria Sharapova played before serving out her 15-month ban for failing a drug test? Serena Williams, of course.

The resumption of the Serena-Sharapova rivalry could provide the most interesting chapter in their shared history yet.

Much has changed since the last time these two met. Serena is a first-time mom making her back to the tour after missing most of 2017. Sharapova is herself still clawing her way back after her suspension. If ever there was a time that the gap between their games was small enough for Sharapova to end her 18-match losing streak against Serena, it would be now.

There’s also the small matter of Sharapova’s book Unstoppable, published in September and a New York Times bestseller. The book is rife with passages about Serena that reveal Sharapova’s complex feelings about her rival. Can she channel those feelings into a winning game plan against Serena?

All of the above makes for an intriguing backdrop for the next time these two titans of the game play each other. Hopefully sooner rather than later.