Serena Williams Introduces Longtime Rival to Hall of Fame

The induction ceremony on Saturday night at the International Tennis Hall of Fame featured identical twins and longtime rivals. Serena Williams surprised the gathering by stepping onstage to introduce Maria Sharapova, describing the honoree as a "former rival, former fan and forever friend." Their competition began when Sharapova beat Williams in the 2004 Wimbledon final, a match that made the 17-year-old a global star. They conceded in their speeches that their relationship has been tense in the past, the Boston Globe reports. But it's improved—especially since they retired—to the point that Sharapova asked Williams, who's not yet eligible for induction, to make the introduction to the 900 attendees in Newport, Rhode Island.

• Williams' remarks: "Every time we faced each other, the atmosphere shifted. It was thick, the tension was real, the fire was real. But behind all that fire, there was something else, even though we didn't talk about it, maybe we really couldn't back then. We really respected each other immensely, because to survive at the very top of the sport, you need resilience, and you need toughness."
• Sharapova's remarks: "As an athlete and a competitor, I've always found it hard to admit when other players shared any of my best qualities. When it came to Serena, it was especially difficult. Because I recognize that she shared many of those qualities, and she capitalized on them as well, if not better, than I did. … Serena did more than just sharpen my game; she helped crystallize my sense of identity as a competitor."
• Hall of Fame career: The first Russian woman to reach No. 1 and one of 10 women with a career Grand Slam, Sharapova had a career record of 645-171. She won 36 singles titles, per USA Today, and has earned nearly $39 million.

• The Bryan brothers: The dominant doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan won 119 ATP titles, 16 Grand Slams, and an Olympic gold medal, per the AP. Bob Bryan said he was fortunate because "for most of my career, I had the No. 1 player in the world across the hall." His brother told the crowd: "We loved everything about doubles. We loved the strategy, the teamwork, sharing in the highs and lows, like our personalities, our games complemented each other perfectly, but our superpower was our energy." They ended their speeches with their trademark chest bump.
• Praise from a great: Martina Navratilova, who won the 2006 US Open mixed doubles title with Bob Bryan, said the twins elevating the profile of doubles tennis. "Not too many athletes transcend their sport," said Navratilova, who was in the audience. "For twins to do it is amazing."