Photo credit: International Tennis Hall of Fame
In a powerful and poignant ceremony, Maria Sharapova and twins Mike and Bob Bryan took their place among tennis legends with their induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame tonight.
The Bryan brothers celebrated with their signature chest bump.
Maria Sharapova touched hearts with a moving speech tracing her rise from a kid arriving in America with her father and a dream to a Grand Slam champion who was the world’s highest-paid female athlete for an astounding 11 consecutive years.
In a surprise, 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams introduced former rival Sharapova in a revealing, laudatory and often funny speech. Both Serena and Maria shared how they evolved from competitors in one of the fiercest rivalries in the sport to good friend with Williams sharing she feels Sharapova reminds of older sister Venus Williams as a truth teller.
Photo credit: International Tennis Hall of Fame
The Bryan brothers, key members of the 2007 United States Davis Cup championship squad, grew teary thanking their parents, Wayne Bryan and Kathy Bryan
Here’s the Bryan brothers’ Hall of Fame speech:
Former world No. 1 Serena Williams stunned many in the Newport, Rhode Island crowd when she walked out to induct former rival Maria Sharapova. The pair embraced at the podium with Sharapova joking that Williams “always forgets to give me the trophy.”
Serena Williams called Maria Sharapova “an inspiration to me.”
It was touching exchange between the former rivals now reunited as good friends with Williams sharing she called Sharapova to interview her before writing her induction speech and the pair wound up “gossiping” for most of the phone call.
Here’s a replay of the entire International Tennis Hall of Fame induction ceremony: