Serena Williams makes surprise appearance as Maria Sharapova is inducted into Tennis Hall of Fame

Maria Sharapova was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, on Saturday, Aug. 23. During her career, she amassed a 645-171 record and won 36 singles titles, earning close to $39 million.

The Russian tennis star started her professional career at the age of 14 in 2001, only a few years before her epic rivalry with Serena Williams began. Because of their tumultuous history, it came as quite a shock to tennis fans when Williams appeared as a surprise inductee for Sharapova.

“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,” Williams said of Sharapova, per USA Today. “Maria Sharapova was one of them. Whenever I saw her name next to mine in the draw, I made sure I practiced harder.”

Together, the women were at the top of their game for several years, playing 22 matches against each other since 2004. Their last match was in 2019. Williams has managed to get the best of Sharapova throughout their careers with a 20-2 record. Williams also holds an 8-1 record in major events against Sharapova, including a 3-1 record in major finals.

© Joe Buglewicz

The pair shared one of the sport’s fiercest and most personal rivalries, beginning when a 17-year-old Sharapova shocked Williams in the 2004 Wimbledon final. While the American went on to dominate their head-to-head meetings, tensions regularly spilled off court, only getting worse when Sharapova was linked to Williams’ ex-boyfriend Grigor Dimitrov in 2013.

Despite their rough past,  Williams, put any lingering animosity aside with a powerful and unexpected speech, ensuring the audience that her relationship with Maria has transformed over the years. 

“I know I’m probably the last person you’d expect to see tonight,” she told the crowd. “We had our differences. To the world, we looked miles apart, but the truth is we weren’t.”

Williams also praised Sharapova’s personality, saying: “She reminds me a lot of Venus. Maria is honest, loyal, family-oriented – she’s just a great person. I think she could’ve been my sister.”

Sharapova looked visibly moved during the speech before later thanking Williams on Instagram, writing: “Thank you for having my back tonight Serena. It meant the world to me.”