Serena Williams makes shock return to tennis stage in honour of her biggest rival
They were sworn enemies throughout their careers, but respect is now flowing between Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.
From the moment a 17-year-old Sharapova beat Williams to win her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2004, this often bitter Russian-American rivalry was born.
Williams took it upon herself to ensure she would put her glamour girl rival in her place and on the court she did just that, winning 20 of their 22 meetings in a relentless show of power that helped to cement her legacy.
For much of that time, Sharapova was her primary rival for the biggest titles in tennis, with their battle at the top of the rankings a key narrative in the women’s game for more than a decade.
Sharapova cemented her legacy as an all-time great of the game by joining the exclusive club of players to win all four Grand Slam titles, but she was usurped by Williams, who claimed a stunning 23 Grand Slam wins as she pressed her claims to be the greatest female player of all-time.
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When they were rivals on court, there was no love lost between the superstar duo, but that animosity ended when they called time on their tennis careers and now it is nothing but love and respect between the old foes.
So when Sharapova called Williams and asked her to provide a speech as she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday, Serena jumped on a plane and answered the call.
What happened at the ceremony in Rhode Island was one of the great tennis moments of recent years.
First, there were gasps of surprise as Serena strode onto the stage and delivered a moving tribute to Sharapova, with her words meaning so much more given the challenging history between the duo.
“I know I’m probably the last person you would expect to see tonight and a few months ago, I’d have probably said the same thing,” said a smiling Williams.
“A few months Maria texted me… and asked if I would introduce her into the Hall of Fame.
“Before she even finished her question, I said yes immediately, because it’s Maria. I was honoured.
“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. In our sport, only one person can walk away with the trophy, and what’s wrong with wanting to be your best? Nothing. In fact, it’s what drove us. That’s what made our rivalry so electric and so iconic.”
Williams went on to admit Sharapova was her fiercest rival, as she went on to reveal how their relationship thawed as they met at a party.
“With no Grand Slam matches the next day, our guards were down and little by little, we saw each other differently,” said Williams, as she revealed how she broke down the barriers with Sharapova.
“One year was small talk, another year was real conversation, and then one day it just clicked — this person I spent years battling across the net, we actually like each other.
“One time a mutual friend of ours said if we met under different circumstances, we’d be great friends.”
With each word of Williams’ speech, it was hard not to be moved how these great rivals who grew to loathe each other now appreciate that they may have been good for each other.
“For more than a decade and a half, every time we faced each other, the atmosphere shifted,” Williams said.
“It was thick, the tension was real, the fire was real. You could feel it and you could hear it, with all of Maria’s grunting. Not mine, yours. I was just copying you.
“There are only a few players who challenged me to be the very best every single time we stepped out on the court. Maria Sharapova was one of them.
“Whenever I saw her name next to mine in the draw, I made sure I practiced harder.
“I showed up with my A-game every time because whatever her weaknesses were in the previous game, it would be her strength next time.
“She showed us all how to take excellence on the court and turn it into excellence in business, and fashion, branding and everything that she touched. She built a legacy that will last forever.
“What started as a rivalry turned into an enormous amount of respect. And what grew from respect has turned to friendship.
“Tonight it’s my honour as her former rival, her former fan and now her forever friend … to welcome Maria Sharapova into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.”
Sharapova then approached the stage and hugged Williams, in a moment that meant so much to two icons of our sport.
The landscape has changed for these two leaders in women’s sport. Sharapova and Williams are now mothers who had a sporting war that has come to an end.
Arguably, they remain the two biggest names in women’s tennis long after they struck their final balls in anger and that says all you need to know about these two enduring icons of women’s sport.
