Serena Williams buries feud with Maria Sharapova with shock appearance as Russian enters tennis Hall of Fame

Serena Williams made a shock cameo at the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday night, appearing from behind the stage to introduce her 'former rival, former fan and forever friend' Maria Sharapova for her induction.

On the eve of the US Open, the 23-time Grand Slam champion, who will not be eligible to be enter the Hall of Fame until 2027, drew gasps and shrieks from the crowd in Newport, Rhode Island. 

She and Sharapova met in four Grand Slam finals and they battled for Olympic gold in London. At times, they clashed off the court, too. In a 2013 Rolling Stone profile, and without naming Sharapova, Williams branded her rival 'boring' and said she was 'with the guy with a black heart'.

At that time, Sharapova was dating Grigor Dimitrov, who was rumored to be one of Williams' ex-partners. The 43-year later apologized.

Williams also called sections of Sharapova's autobiography, Unstoppable, '100 percent hearsay', with the Russian biting back: 'I think Serena hated me for being the skinny kid who beat her, against all odds, at Wimbledon.'

On Saturday night, however, Williams - who has been in the headlines over her dramatic weight loss - heaped praise on the Russian. '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 won five Grand Slam singles titles before retiring in 2020. She also served a ban after testing positive for the banned substance meldonium. But the Russian said it 'meant the world' to her that Williams showed up.

'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 in her acceptance speech.

'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.'

The first Russian woman ever to reach No 1 in the rankings and one of 10 women to complete the career Grand Slam, Sharapova was joined in the Class of 2025 by the dominant doubles team Mike and Bob Bryan.

Martina Navratilova, Jim Courier, Stan Smith and Andy Roddick were among those in the crowd, wearing their blue Hall of Fame blazers. 

Williams noted that her rival was the highest-paid female athlete in the world for 11 straight years - bolstered by endorsement income that surpassed her on-court winnings.

'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,' Williams said. 'She changed how women not only approached tennis, but sports and opportunity. 

'She showed us that you can be fierce on the court and strategic off the court, and unapologetically herself the entire time.'

On Sunday, Williams took to social media to post about her surprise trip to Rhode Island and heaped more praise on Sharapova

'Maria’s career as her dad put it yesterday- started with me and last night ended with me inducting her into the tennis hall of fame,' she wrote on Instagram. 

'I’m probably the last person you expected to see standing here tonight. Honestly, a few years ago, I would’ve said the same thing. But years after getting to know her better we now call each other friends. And when a friend calls you answer. This is women supporting each other and respecting each other's greatness.'