Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova will play each other in the first round of the 2019 US Open, the latest matchup in a series Serena leads 19-2.
The two tennis greats haven’t met on the court in more than three years (and never at the US Open). They were last scheduled to face off in the fourth round of the 2018 French Open, but Serena had to withdraw from the tournament due to injury. Serena is, however, on an 18-game winning streak against Maria, who hasn’t come away victorious from a matchup with Serena since 2004. The two have faced each other in four Grand Slam finals over the course of their careers. Maria defeated Serena at Wimbledon in 2004, while Serena won the 2007 Australian Open, the 2013 French Open, and the 2015 Australian Open.
In this latest tournament, eight-seeded Serena hopes to pick up her 24th Grand Slam title, which would tie her with Margaret Court for the most career Grand Slam titles. Meanwhile, Maria has fallen to 87th in the world rankings as the five-time champion struggles with ongoing injuries. Regardless of their official rankings, it’s sure to be a thrilling match between two legendary players. Tune in on Monday, August 26, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.