Russian icon Maria Sharapova recently shared her thoughts on how she felt when legendary American player Serena Williams inducted her into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, as well as her heartwarming speech.
Sharapova received one of her career’s biggest honors from her longtime on-court rival, Williams, in August 2025 at the induction ceremony held in Newport, Rhode Island.
How Did Maria Sharapova Feel About Serena Williams Giving Her Hall of Fame Induction Speech?
Sharapova is widely regarded as one of the most prominent tennis stars to emerge from Russia, having dominated the courts for more than a decade. The Russian player-turned-businesswoman won 36 WTA singles titles, including five major titles, and three doubles titles. She also claimed an Olympic silver medal in the singles category at the 2012 London Olympics.
At the age of 17, she clinched her first major title after defeating the then two-time defending champion Serena Williams in the final of the 2004 Wimbledon Championships. Williams led their on-court rivalry by winning 20 of their 22 matches, with Sharapova claiming two victories from 2004 to 2019.
During her recent interview on “The David Rubenstein Show,” Sharapova shared her thoughts on how honored she felt when Williams chose to deliver her induction speech at the 2025 International Tennis Hall of Fame ceremony. She mentioned, “Awkward wasn’t the right word, David. It was so exciting and it was so thrilling. Well, it would have been, that would have been awkward, ’cause that is a call that I made, and I said, ‘Well, there’s no one else I’d rather be on that stage with than you.’ And she said, ‘I’m honored.’ But it could have gone the other way. It didn’t, thankfully.”
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While highlighting the symbolism of their bond, among other significant aspects, she continued, “She was incredible. She was very thoughtful. Her speech was really strong. It was also very personal, and there’s that moment when she walked on stage of, like, 5 to 10 seconds when the crowd, there was, like, a bit of silence and shock, and there’s a wave through the crowd, and I was like, I think we achieved what we wanted to achieve here.”
Despite their shared rivalry, which has now turned into a profound friendship, Sharapova had mentioned earlier that their “mutual respect for the work ethic, dedication and discipline” they had throughout their careers were the aspects that led to the creation of their bond.
