Sloane Stephens Criticizes Serena Williams: ‘People Think She’s So Friendly – That’s Not Reality’

Sloane Stephens has lashed out at fellow tennis star Serena Williams in remarkably frank fashion.

In an interview with ESPN: The Magazine, Stephens reveals that Williams hasn’t “said one word” to her since their quarter-final match in January’s Australian Open.

Stephens won that encounter 3-6 7-5 6-4, producing what was arguably the shock of the tournament.

Sloane Stephens told the mag:

“She’s not said one word to me, not spoken to me, not said hi, not looked my way, not been in the same room with me since I played her in Australia. And that should tell everyone something, how she went from saying all these nice things about me to unfollowing me on Twitter.”

Yes, Williams committed the ultimate burn by unfollowing Stephens on Twitter. Not only that, but she also tweeted a message that Stephens felt was directed at her, one that simply read: “I made you.”

“Like, seriously!” huffs Stephens. “People should know. They think she’s so friendly and she’s so this and she’s so that — no, that’s not reality! You don’t unfollow someone on Twitter, delete them off of BlackBerry Messenger. I mean, what for? Why?”

I made you.

— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) January 26, 2013

Stephens’ relationship with Williams actually goes back years, it turns out. Elsewhere in the interview, the rising star says both Serena and sister Venus ignored her when she was just a 12-year-old autograph hunter at a 2005 US Fed Cup match:

“I waited all day [for an autograph]. They walked by three times and never signed our posters.”

Mind you, Stephens seems pretty fickle on the subject of Serena. Speaking about the elder American in January, just weeks before they met at the Aussie Open, the then-teenager gushed:

“[Serena]’s so sweet. No, I love her. Obviously she’s been a really great influence in my tennis year career. Obviously I always was like, ‘Oh, my God.’ I love her to death. She’s amazing, whatever. Now she’s like an actual person and I’m like, ‘Oh, hi. How is it going?’ She’s not like a hero anymore. She’s just a friend.”

That friendship seems to have soured, but wait – there’s more! Tennis.com has been informed that Sloane Stephens and Serena Williams were acting like BFF at the United States’ Fed Cup tie against Sweden in early April – a couple of weeks after Stephens spoke to ESPN.

If you’re feeling confused, take it from me: You are not alone.

Here’s what happened between Sloane Stephens and Serena Williams when they met in Australia: