Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova surprised tennis fans on Saturday when Williams walked out to introduce Sharapova into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
The two tennis stars shared a long rivalry that Williams described Saturday as “so electric and so iconic.”
Both Williams and Sharapova opened their remarks by acknowledging the unlikelihood that Sharapova would ask Williams to introduce her and that Williams would actually do it.
From long-time rivals, to forever friends 🫂
Serena Williams introduces Maria Sharapova into the International Tennis Hall of Fame!
“I know I’m probably the last person you would be expecting to see here tonight, but honestly, a few years ago, I probably would have said the same thing,” Williams said.
But it’s less shocking when Williams and Sharapova revealed that they’re no longer rivals, but friends.
Why Serena Williams introduced Maria Sharapova at Hall of Fame
The pair appeared to show pure excitement as Williams walked onto the stage as what she described as Sharapova’s “former rival, her former fan and now her forever friend.”
Williams and Sharapova traded jabs and laughter in their speeches like close friends would and shared a long embrace at the conclusion of Williams’ remarks.
Williams even jokingly called for security twice to escort Sharapova, whom Williams called a “heckler,” out of the ceremony.
“The tension was real…you could hear it, with all Maria’s grunting” 🤣
Serena cracked some jokes when reliving the 2004 Wimbledon final vs Sharapova during her HOF introduction speech.
Williams shared that Sharapova had texted her a few months ago and asked to talk to her. Williams’ reaction is proof of how their relationship had evolved.
“Maria texted me that she needed to talk, and so, I thought, ‘Uh oh, what’s going on? What’s going down? Where do I need to jump in? What do I need to do?’” Williams said. “But when I called her, she asked me if I would introduce her into the Hall of Fame, and before she even finished her question, I said yes — loud, immediately with my whole chest because of course, it’s Maria. I was honored.”
Serena Williams’ and Maria Sharapova’s rivalry
Williams then addressed the rivalry that had existed for over a decade.
“Now, let’s be real. Maria and I were once the fiercest of rivals. We had our differences. To the world, we looked miles and miles apart. But the truth is, we weren’t. We wanted the exact same thing at the exact same time: to be the very best,” she said.
She called her 2004 Wimbledon loss to Sharapova, which started the rivalry, one of her hardest.
“For more than a decade and a half, every time we face each other, the atmosphere shifted. It was thick. The tension was real. The fire was real,” she said.
She called her 2004 Wimbledon loss to Sharapova, which started the rivalry, one of her hardest.
“For more than a decade and a half, every time we face each other, the atmosphere shifted. It was thick. The tension was real. The fire was real,” she said.
On Saturday, Sharapova said she’d never forget Williams’ quote to the New York Times following the match when she said, “She’s kind of like me. She doesn’t back off. She keeps giving it her all.”
“As an athlete and a competitor, I’ve always found it hard to admit when other players shared any of my best qualities. When it came to Serena, it was especially difficult because I recognized that she shared many of those same qualities and she capitalized on them as well if not better than I did. She certainly has the trophies to show us,” Sharapova said.
Despite their rivalry, the two shared a mutual respect for their resilience and toughness, Williams said.
The rivalry may appear lopsided based on the wins — Williams had a 20-2 career record over Sharapova, per the International Tennis Federation — but Williams practiced harder “whenever I saw her name next to mine in the draw.”
“There are only a few players in my career who challenged me to be the very best every single time we stepped out on the court. Maria Sharapova was one of them,” she said.
To begin her speech, Sharapova poked fun at the rivalry.
“Who would have thought? Serena Williams interviewed me for a full hour to prepare for today’s speech. That’s when I realized it was really game on. Serena, I thought that maybe today you’d let me win, just this once. But you may have won the speech competition,” she said.
The 2025 inductee dedicated nearly four minutes of her 21-minute speech to her rival turned friend.
“Serena did more than just sharpen my game. She helped crystalize my sense of identity as a competitor. It’s a gift to have someone who motivates you to reach those heights, and I’ll forever, forever be grateful for her bringing out the best in me, which she really did,” Sharapova said.
