“You’ve earned it” – Andre Agassi and Novak Djokovic send heartwarming messages to Maria Sharapova & Bryan brothers after their HOF induction

Novak Djokovic and Andre Agassi heaped praise on Maria Sharapova as the Russian tennis legend was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Djokovic is on his quest to win his record-extending 25th Grand Slam at the 2025 US Open.

Djokovic fell short of the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon titles, exiting in the semifinals. Though he skipped competing in the other ATP Tour-level tournaments, the Serb remained laser-focused on Flushing Meadows, despite having achieved a Career Golden Slam.

Ahead of his US Open campaign, the 38-year-old shouted out to his fellow luminary and good friend, Maria Sharapova, as she received her blazer at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The 24-time Grand Slam titlist shared a story on Instagram with a picture of the ceremony, captioning:

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"Congratulations to Maria and Bryan Brothers. Well deserved."

Andre Agassi, the eight-time major champion, expressed similar thoughts and congratulated Sharapova and the Bryan Brothers on their milestone achievement.

"Congratulations to my friends @mariasharapova and the Bryan Brothers @bryanbros @mikecbryan on their well-deserved induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Your accomplishments have inspired so many. I’ve had the privilege of sharing the tour and the sport we love alongside you, and seeing you honored for everything you’ve given to tennis is truly special. Welcome to the Hall—you’ve earned it."

Agassi shared a carousel of pictures, featuring Sharapova's snaps from the event and another with him and his wife, Steffi Graf.

Novak Djokovic lauded Maria Sharapova when she retired from tennis in 2020

Novak Djokovic, the 100-time singles titlist, shared a great bond with the Russian player, who broke into the upper echelon of women's tennis after her first major win at the 2004 Wimbledon. She held the title of highest-paid female athlete from 2005 to 2015, according to Forbes.

Maria Sharapova retired in 2020, and after hanging up her racket, she earned praise from the Serb for recording a successful career path.

"Her impact on the sport, not just women’s tennis, but tennis in general, was great. It still is great. She’s a very smart girl, someone that I know very well for a long time. She has the mind of a champion, someone that never gives up. She’s shown that especially in the last five years." (PTI via AFP)

He also added:

"For someone that has won five Grand Slams and has been No. 1 of the world, a legend of the sport. She should be proud of everything she has achieved."

Sharapova also added an Olympic medal to her repertoire at the 2012 London Olympics. She is also one of the few women to achieve a Career Grand Slam in singles.

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About the author

Agnijeeta Majumder

Agnijeeta is a US Olympics journalist at Sportskeeda. She holds a Master’s degree in English and has worked as a school teacher, a blogger, a content writer and a sports writer over the past 5 years. A lover of high-adrenaline track and field events, she was also a sprinter during her school days.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone happens to be her favorite Olympian, and the athlete’s feat of breaking four records within 13 months inspires her, apart from the American's body language on and off the track. Grant Hackett swimming with a partially dysfunctional lung and winning gold in Athens is her all-time favorite Olympic moment.

Agnijeeta believes that deriving of unique angles from podcasts and interviews carried out by Olympics.com, along with hype-building of potential Olympic events on social media can help fill the coverage gap during the off season.

When not at her work desk, Agnijeeta likes to sing and paint. She also plays string instruments like guitar and ukulele and is an avid player of word puzzles.

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