Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Sharapova–S. Williams rivalry


 * The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review).  No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was keep. Modussiccandi (talk) 08:45, 28 February 2022 (UTC)

Sharapova–S. Williams rivalry

 * – ( View AfD View log | edits since nomination)

While she was a contemporary player, this was a lopsided destruction and not a true rivalry. It's one thing to be mentioned casually on either of these two player articles, but quite another to have a pretty useless stand-alone article. Per Tennis Project, rivalry articles are not inherently notable and rivalries such as Agassi–Rafter and Federer–Hewitt have been deleted by the community. This was also partially discussed at []. Fyunck(click) (talk) 06:44, 20 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Tennis-related deletion discussions.  CAPTAIN RAJU (T) 06:49, 20 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Sportspeople-related deletion discussions.  CAPTAIN RAJU (T) 06:49, 20 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Women-related deletion discussions.  CAPTAIN RAJU (T) 06:49, 20 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Delete Agree with Fyunck(click) that this was not really a notable rivalry. Does not need a standalone article.InfiNeuro (talk) 06:56, 20 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Delete per nom. Martina Navratilova says Serena only had two rivals of note: her sister Venus (Williams sisters rivalry) and Justine Henin (Henin–S. Williams rivalry), and who am I to argue? Clarityfiend (talk) 08:11, 20 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Weak keep. Sports Illustrated says otherwise ("The five major moments in the history of the Serena-Sharapova rivalry"), as do the Associated Press ("Look Back: Serena vs. Sharapova, an enduring rivalry"), Bleacher Report ("Why Serena Williams vs. Maria Sharapova Is Still the WTA's Best Rivalry"), Tennis magazine ("Serena's Slams: A rivalry turns Down Under as Williams survives Sharapova"), etc. Apparently, even a lopsided rivalry is still a rivalry (if there's enough ill-will, maybe?). Clarityfiend (talk) 08:24, 20 February 2022 (UTC)


 * Keep, e.g. also: Vox, 2017 ("Williams is a prominent fixture in Sharapova's book and in many of the popular narratives surrounding Sharapova."), Rolling Stone, 2017 (discussing Sharapova's book, quoting Sharapova about Williams: "Only a few people in the world know what we know – what it feels like in the dead center of this storm, the fear and anger that drive you, how it is to win and how it is to lose. But we are not friends – not at all."), New York Times, 2017 (also discussing the book, "Sharapova speaks of Williams in a detailed and often antagonistic way rarely used to discuss an active rival."), SkySports, 2016 (quoting Sharapova discussing Williams: "It's motivating because she's at a different level. She makes you go back to the drawing board, not just for me, but for many other players. She makes you work. That's inspiring."). Even this lopsided rivalry meets the GNG because it has received significant coverage in reliable sources that are independent of the subject, based on the sources identified in this discussion, in the article, and otherwise available online, which can allow this article to be further developed. Beccaynr (talk) 23:16, 21 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Notification was made about this AfD at Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Women in Red. - Beccaynr (talk) 15:58, 25 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Keep Clarityfiend and Beccaynr have provided enough sources to establish notability. This is one of the few memorable rivalries on the WTA tour in recent decades, despite the lopsidedness of it on court. Letcord (talk) 04:34, 26 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Keep reliable sources consider this to be a noteworthy tennis rivalry. Whether or not it was "a lopsided destruction" is subjective, that's kind of a personal judgement call. And rivalries don't have to be close either. BuySomeApples (talk) 22:03, 27 February 2022 (UTC)


 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.