Serena Williams introducing Maria Sharapova into the Hall of Fame didn't go without mentioning the 2004 Wimbledon final as the American described that particular day as "the highlight" of the Russian's career, while admitting that for her it was "one of the hardest losses."
Before delivering her acceptance speech in Newport, Sharapova pulled off a surprise move and had Williams introduce her. Needless to say, the crowd went nuts and everyone absolutely loved it.
As everyone knows, the Williams and Sharapova rivalry was launched in 2004, when the Russian - who was 17 at the time - upset the top-seeded American 6-1 6-4 in the Wimbledon final. A couple of months later, the Russian also ended triumphant in their WTA Finals championship match.
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"To this day, she (Maria) calls it (the 2004 Wimbledon final win) the highlight of her career. And to this day, I call it one of my hardest losses," the former 23-time Grand Slam champion said.
Williams gets honest on her rivalry with Sharapova
After meeting three times in 2004 and Sharapova winning twice, Williams looked extremely motivated and determined to beat the former world No. 1 in every of their clashes that took place in the rest of their careers. That resulted in the American winning against the Russian 19 times in a row between 2004 and 2019, and finishing with a 20-2 head-to-head.
"Maria and I were once the fiercest of rivals, we had our differencesto the world, we looked miles and miles apart. But the truth is, we weren't. We wanted the exact same thing, at the exact time: to be the very best. That's what made our rivalry so electric, and so iconic," the American tennis icon said of her rivalry with the Russian former five-time Grand Slam winner.
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When asked how she became a part of Sharapova's Hall of Fame introduction, Williams said that the Russian reached out asking if she was willing to do so, and she gladly accepted.
