Serena Williams and Jelena Jankovic were two of the most ferocious rivals in women’s tennis, and their games oftentimes were filled with intense exchanges. One such occasion was at the Dubai Championships 2014 when both these WTA stars were vying for a quarterfinal berth. The friction between both the players was visible and eventually boiled over into an exchange of words on court, with the commentator chipping in too.
During the match, Jankovic had been already given a time violation by the referee, and with the game finely poised, Williams did something to further infuriate the former world number 1. Jankovic was about to serve but Serena held her up, apparently to cough, and that did not go down well with the Serbian star. Jankovic then made a sarcastic remark towards the American, which was followed by the commentator asking Jelena to ‘shut up’.
Serena Williams hits back at Jelena Jankovic
The pair had had a few heated moments in the past as well and this one in 2014 was another one to add to the list. With a place in the quarterfinal at stake and serving to stay in the match, Jelena Jankovic was visibly under pressure and that erupted when Williams held her up for a few seconds longer. Having already lost the first set 2-6 and down 2-5 in the second set, the Serbian was keen to avoid another violation and thought her opponent’s tactics were deliberate.
After Williams stopped Jankovic from serving, the Serb shouted, “You can take more time, it’s yours.” Not one to take anything lying down, the American hit back at the sarcastic comment with “Do you want to do this again, Jelena?”, apparently referring to the two identical incidents at the Italian Open in 2010 and The Family Circle Cup in 2013. The commentator then slammed Jelena Jankovic for her behavior, by saying “Oh shut up, Jelena” live on air.
Both the players were quick to downplay the on-court antics and said it was all in the heat of the moment. Jankovic went ahead and said she was more annoyed with the referee than her opponent. Williams even apologized to Jankovic and both the players ended the game on a good note.
Not the first time
Serena Williams and Jelena Jankovic have a history of on-court arguments. The first was at the Italian Open in 2010, when Jankovic beat Williams, who said “I am not Justine” to Jankovic after the game, referring to Justin Henin. Justin Henin had a 10-0 record against Jankovic.
Another such occasion was The Family Circle Cup in 2013, when both the players disagreed on the time taken during serves by Jankovic. At 40-15 in the first game, Jankovic went to serve, and despite being squatted and apparently ready to return, Serena lifted her racket up to stop the point in the middle of Jankovic’s service motion. “You gotta wait,” Serena told Jankovic. The duo further went on to say,
Jankovic: “How long do I have to wait?”
Serena: “Until I’m ready. I don’t play slow.”
Jankovic: “But you go like this [crouching in return position]
Serena: “Honestly, you got a problem. I’m not the one.”
Both players may have had some friction on court on a few occasions but that was not evidence of a lack of respect. Both have always maintained how much they respect the other as competitors, citing the friction as a consequence of the intensity of their matches.
