“So inspiring” – Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek amazed by Serena Williams’ heartwarming gesture for ex-rival Maria Sharapova at her HOF induction

Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova were part of an intense rivalry in the 2000s and 2010s when it came to women’s singles on the tour. The duo was highly celebrated but was said to have some bitterness.

That’s why no one expected Williams to appear at Sharapova’s Hall of Fame induction. Sharapova was surprised to see Williams entering through a door at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Tennis Channel captured the entire moment and shared it on Instagram with an apt caption:

“From long-time rivals, to forever friends 🫂”

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Under the comments section, current tennis stars were excited to see the reunion in a far different setting. Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek wrote:

"Wow. This is so inspiring and amazing. 😍"

2025 French Open champion Coco Gauff also chimed in with a similar reaction:

"amazing!"

While taking to the podium to celebrate Sharapova's legacy, Serena Williams expected to see surprised faces in the audience. Maybe she'll have the same setting when the 23-time Grand Slam champion becomes eligible for Hall of Fame induction in 2027.

Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova share mutual admiration

In the era dominated by the Williams sisters, Maria Sharapova quietly made a name for herself. Some of the biggest moments in her career came against Serena Williams, with the 2004 Wimbledon championships probably at the very top. Taking to the podium, Williams shared her admiration for Sharapova, who proved to be quite the challenge, forcing her to work extra hard.

“There are only a few players in my career who challenged me to be the very best, every single time we stepped out on the court,” Williams said. “Maria Sharapova was one of them. Whenever I saw her name next to mine in the draw, I made sure I practiced harder.”

Sharapova also had mutual admiration for Serena Williams, sharing that the American was her source of motivation. She thanked Williams for sharing an era of competitive tennis with her.

“It’s a gift to have someone who motivates you to reach those heights. And I’ll forever be grateful for bringing out the best in me,” Sharapova said. “We both knew no other way than to fight our hearts out. ... We both hated to lose more than anything on this earth, and we both knew that the other was the biggest obstacle between ourselves and the trophy.”

Sharapova, who became the first Russian to ever reach No. 1 in tennis rankings, was enshrined into the Hall of Fame as part of the 2025 class, which also included the inductions of dominating doubles team Mike and Bob Bryan.

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Krutik Jain

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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