If the highest profile tour in women’s sport has an image of super-competitive super-rich players who don’t have much time for each other, the world’s two wealthiest women athletes went some way to dispelling it. Instead Sharapova and Williams were giggling and whispering in a way old school buddies might share the latest gossip. “You do not want to know about it,” grinned Sharapova when the subject of their chatter during the tournament’s draw was requested at a press conference.

Smashing hot: Tennis stars Li Na (left), Angelique Kerber, Petra Kvitova, Victoria Azarenka, Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Agnieszka Radwanska and Sara Errani (right) pose for the official photo of the WTA Championships in Istanbul yesterday. Pic/Getty Images