Fans go into meltdown as Serena Williams inducts Maria Sharapova into International Tennis Hall of Fame

Maria Sharapova was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday night, and the introductory speech was given by none other than former rival Serena Williams. The American tennis legend made a surprise appearance and said, “In 2004, when Maria was just 17 years old, she stunned the world and won Wimbledon. To this day, she calls it the highlight of her career. Today, I call it one of my hardest losses. The match didn’t just make her a champion. It actually made her a star and launched one of the most talked about and controversial rivalries in tennis.”

Serena Williams inducts Maria Sharapova into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

The pair were epic rivals during their respective playing careers. They met 22 times between 2004 and 2019, with Williams leading 20-2 in their head-to-head, which includes 8-1 at the majors and 3-1 in the major finals.

The meet-up of Serena and Sharapova also sent social media into a state of meltdown, especially after the American legend roasted the Russian for her ‘grunting’ while playing tennis.