From all the history Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova have written — from Grand Slams and greatness to meltdowns and meldonium — they had never once played each other at the U.S. Open.

Monday’s first was no contest.

Williams thrashed Sharapova 6-1, 6-1 in Monday night’s first-round match under the lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

It was a dominant enough performance that — despite not winning a Grand Slam since giving birth two years ago, and going through a pulmonary embolism in the aftermath — Williams is confident she will notch her record-tying 24th major title.

“Yeah, I feel like I’m here to do that. We’ll see what happens,” said Williams, who has treated Sharapova like the Globetrotters treat the Washington Generals. “Every time I play her I bring out some of my best tennis.”

If Williams needed any incentivizing, Sharapova provided it. In their first meeting in three years, Williams improved to 20-2 against the Russian, including the past 19 straight dating back to 2004.

“I always said her ball somehow lands in my strike zone,” Williams said. “I don’t know. It’s just perfect for me.”

Williams has always taken joy in beating Sharapova even when Sharapova was at her best. But at just 87th in the latest world rankings with her ailing shoulder — one that has required surgery, and has some around her urging retirement — Sharapova is nowhere near her best.

But Williams was on Monday.

In her first match on Ashe since her infamous tantrum at chair umpire Carlos Ramos in last year’s final, Williams was serene. Composed. A well-oiled tennis machine.

“I wanted to make sure I stayed focused,” said Williams, cheered loudly by the crowd. “It was great. I mean, the fans, like I said on the court, they were so amazing. I could hear them walking down the hallway. It was such a good feeling. It made me feel unbelievable, really helped me get amped up and pumped up.”

It marked the first time Sharapova, who was suspended in 2016 after testing positive for meldonium, a banned substance, had lost in the first round at the Open, and it was only her second defeat in 25 night matches in Queens.



“It’s easy to be discouraged after a match like this. But if I’m personally discouraged, I wake up tomorrow, I don’t feel like I want to go out, train, be better, that’s more discouraging than the result,” Sharapova said.

“Bottom line is I believe in my ability. You can write me off. There are many people that can write me off, especially after going down 6-1, 6-1 in the first round of the U.S. Open. [But] as long as it’s not the person that’s inside of you, you’ll be OK.”

Meanwhile, Williams showed her best movement and mobility since becoming a mother. And down 15-40 and on the verge of being broken, she shaved off two straight break points and then held to go up 3-1 in the second set.

Williams has now won 18 straight sets against Sharapova, and 31 of 32. The sore back that forced her to skip Cincinnati and retire in Toronto has clearly improved going into a second-round date versus American teen Caty McNally.