Serena Williams was given the responsibility of introducing former rival Maria Sharapova for her induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday night.

The American emerged from behind the stage, surprising everyone, calling Sharapova a ‘former rival, a former fan and the friend for ever’.

Speaking on the stage, Serena 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.”

“For more than a decade and a half, every time we took on each other, the atmosphere shifted. The tension was real, the fire was real, and honestly, you could feel it, and by the way, you could hear it, with all Maria’s grunting,” she added.

In response, Sharapova could be seen pointing her finger at Serena, and the American responded, “No, not mine, yours! I was just copying you”.

Meanwhile, in her acceptance speech, the Russian said, “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.”

“We both knew no other way than to fight our hearts out. 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,” she added.

Sharapova was the first-ever Russian woman to reach the No. 1 spot in the rankings and one of 10 women to complete the career Grand Slam.

During her introductory speech, Williams also 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.”