Maria Sharapova Reveals How Longtime Rival Serena Williams ‘Showed Up Big Time’ for Her Hall of Fame Induction (Exclusive)

NEED TO KNOW

• Maria Sharapova pinpointed how her tennis rivalry with Serena Williams transformed into an unexpected friendship, when speaking with PEOPLE exclusively after being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Aug. 24

• Sharapova said the 23-time Grand Slam champ “showed up big time and she delivered a phenomenal speech,” when reflecting on the memorable ceremony

• Williams’ appearance in Newport, R.I. at the event was kept under wraps

Talent respects talent.

Maria Sharapova was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame over the weekend, and was introduced by her former on-the-court rival, Serena Williams.

Two days after the ceremony, the retired Russian tennis star spoke with PEOPLE exclusively about the unexpected trajectory of their relationship, having gone from the fiercest of rivals while competing on the court to friends so close that Williams calls Sharapova her “sister.”

“She showed up big time and she delivered a phenomenal speech,” Sharapova, 38, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “It was really thoughtful that she accepted being there. There’s no one else that I thought of for this occasion, and I think she also realized how impactful it would’ve been … So yeah, it was a really special moment.”

Over the years, the pair has squashed rumors of bad blood, despite their rivalry being among the most intense and high-profile in modern tennis — infamously fueled by then-17-year-old Sharapova’s upset of Williams at Wimbledon in 2004.

While attempting to pinpoint exactly how they managed to transform their rivalry into a friendship, Sharapova, looking back, made clear that it “begins with mutual respect for the work ethic, for the the dedication and for the discipline that we had throughout our career.”

As two tennis greats, Sharapova says that drive “was always inevitable” for the two of them as young and hungry athletes whose goals were to win and be the best at their game. The turning point in their relationship, however, came from time spent together off the court.

“We didn’t know much about each other,” she tells PEOPLE. “And post-playing days, we got to know each other and we were like, ‘We are so alike! We have a sense of humor. We are able to laugh things off.’ “

Sharapova credits the wide range of shared interests and friends that they have as the key that turned the dynamic of their relationship.

“We just ended up speaking often… going completely off script and just having fun,” she continues, of Williams, recalling their bonds over fashion at Anna Wintour’s Met Gala and as mothers who are raising kids of their own.

Sharapova described Williams’ introduction as a “really full-circle moment” because she grew up watching her and her sister Venus when she was a young girl herself.

“I looked up to them so much, and then I found myself across the net from Serena when I was a teenager, playing in my first Grand Slam final to many more Grand Slams,” she says. “So many years facing each other to then her accepting to induct me into the Hall of Fame was a full-circle moment.”

In Williams’ speech, she introduced Sharapova as her “forever friend,” noting that she was “probably the last person you were expecting to see here tonight” after the honoree asked her to say a few words.

“To the world, we looked miles and miles apart. The truth is, we weren’t,” Williams said. “We wanted the exact same thing at the exact same time: to be the very best. In our sport, only one person can really walk away with the trophy.”

“And what’s really wrong with wanting to be your best? Nothing,” she added. “In fact, it’s what drove us.”

Sharapova, a five-time major singles champion who ended her career with a 645-171 record, was inducted five years after her retirement in 2020.

Read the original article on People