Maria Sharapova was officially inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday night in Newport — and the moment became even more memorable when her long-time rival Serena Williams walked out to deliver the introductory speech.
Williams’ surprise appearance sent ripples through the tennis world as she reflected on one of the defining moments of their rivalry. “In 2004, when Maria was just 17 years old, she stunned the world and won Wimbledon. To this day, she calls it the highlight of her career. Today, I call it one of my hardest losses. The match didn’t just make her a champion. It actually made her a star and launched one of the most talked about and controversial rivalries in tennis,” Serena said, drawing a thunderous ovation.
The meet-up between the two legends set social media abuzz.
Sharapova’s career, though, speaks far louder than any rivalry. The Russian is one of only 10 women in tennis history to achieve a career Grand Slam in singles, spending nearly 20 years at the top of the game. She first rose to World No. 1 in 2005 — the first Russian woman to do so — and would go on to hold the top spot five times. Her five major singles titles came at Wimbledon (2004), US Open (2006), Australian Open (2008), and Roland-Garros (2012 & 2014). She was also part of Russia’s victorious 2008 Fed Cup team and earned a silver medal in singles at the 2012 London Olympics.
Sharapova wasn’t the only tennis great to be honoured on the night. Legendary doubles pair Bob and Mike Bryan were also inducted, cementing their place as the most successful team in ATP history. The Bryan Brothers won 16 Grand Slam doubles titles, spent 438 weeks as World No. 1, and ended the year ranked No. 1 a record 10 times. Over their two-decade career, they lifted a staggering 119 tour-level trophies and remain the only doubles team to complete the Double Career Grand Slam.
Together, Sharapova and the Bryans now take their place among tennis immortals, their legacies etched forever in the Hall of Fame.