(Video) Serena Williams Pokes Fun at Maria Sharapova with Hilarious ‘Grunting’ Remark and Makes Her Emotional During Hall of Fame Speech

Grand Slam champions Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams have become good friends after their retirements.

(Video) Serena Williams Pokes Fun at Maria Sharapova with Hilarious ‘Grunting’ Remark and Makes Her Emotional During Hall of Fame Speech

Serena Williams inducted Maria Sharapova to the Hall of Fame (Image via X/International Tennis Hall of Fame, Tennis Channel, Bastien Fachan)

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The first word of Serena Williams‘ speech to introduce Maria Sharapova to the Hall of Fame was “surprise“. On Saturday (August 23), Williams revealed that a few months ago, she received a text from Sharapova asking her to induct her into the Hall of Fame.

The 38-year-old was interviewed by her former rival for a full hour to prepare for the speech. They are no longer fierce rivals; as time went by, they became “forever friends“.

For more than a decade and a half, every time we faced each other, the atmosphere shifted. It was thick, the tension was real, the fire was real. You could feel it, and by the way, you could hear it, with all of Maria’s grunting.

Serena Williams joked

Sharapova and everyone present for the ceremony broke into laughter. The Russian shot back, “Yours too!” Williams’ response was, “I was just copying you.” The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion then recalled practicing harder whenever she saw her name next to Sharapova on the draw, lauding her for being relentless about improving her game and her fierce never give-up attitude.

And how did that fierce rivalry turn into friendship? It’s all thanks to Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour, who hosts the Met Gala. And there, amid actors, musicians, designers, and sportspeople, among other influential personalities, Williams and Sharapova found themselves at the same table. There were little conversations which culminated in them starting to see each other differently.

And today, her biggest joy isn’t only a trophy, it’s her son, Theodore. And she’s taken that same focus, that same fire, and poured it into being a mom, a great mom, steady, calm, and thoughtful. She actually reminds me a lot of Venus. The more I know her, the more I think the things we share and can share in the future. I think she could have been my sister. What started as a rivalry turned into an enormous amount of respect. And what grew from respect has turned to friendship.

Serena Williams added

Sharapova entered the Class of 2025 alongside the doubles specialists Mike and Bob Bryan. The ceremony was attended by fellow Hall of Famers Martina Navratilova, Jim Courier, Stan Smith, and Andy Roddick, all dressed in their signature Hall of Fame blue blazers. Williams will be eligible for the honor in 2027.

Serena Williams’ head-to-head record against Maria Sharapova

Serena Williams, in her speech, said her rivalry with Maria Sharapova was one of the most controversial ones. But when it came to stats, Williams leads by a great margin.

Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams
Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams (Image via X/International Tennis Hall of Fame)

In their head-to-head matchups, Sharapova could win just two matches in their 22 clashes. Sharapova is a five-time Grand Slam champion, the first title of which came at the 2004 Wimbledon. Williams was chasing her third straight title at SW19, but a 17-year-old Sharapova became a star overnight when she beat Williams 6-1, 6-4 in the final.

Williams and Sharapova then went on to face each other in eight more finals, the result of which ended in the American’s favor. The last time they faced each other was in the first round of the 2019 US Open, where the 43-year-old handed Sharapova two breadsticks.

Sharapova officially hung up her racket in February 2020. Two years later, Williams, at the 2022 US Open, joined Sharapova on the retirement list.

Apart from the 2004 Wimbledon, Sharapova’s victories also came at the 2006 US Open and the 2008 Australian Open. Sharapova once claimed her movement on clay was like a cow on ice. But she conquered the surface by winning two Majors: in 2012 by beating Sara Errani and in 2014 by beating Simona Halep.

Apart from these wins, she also played five more Grand Slam singles finals, including one at the 2013 French Open, which she lost to Williams. Williams last claimed a Grand Slam title at the 2017 Australian Open and last won a singles title at the 2020 ASB Classic by beating Jessica Pegula.

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