23time major champion Serena Williams.     All right.     All right. Surprise.     [Applause]     I know I’m probably the last person you     would be expecting to see here tonight,     but honestly, a few years ago, I     probably would have said the same thing,     but here’s how it happened. A few months     ago, Maria texted me that she needed to     talk. And so, I thought, uhoh, what’s     going in? What’s going down? Like, where     do I need to jump in? What do I need to     do? Right?

But, um, when I called her,     she asked me if I would introduce her     into the Hall of Fame. And before she     even finished her question, I said yes     loud immediately with my whole chest     because of course it’s Maria. I was     honored. Now, let’s be real. Maria and I     were once the fiercest of rivals. We had     our differences to the world. We looked     miles and miles apart. But the truth is,     we weren’t. We wanted the exact same     thing at the exact same time to be the     very best. and our sport. Only one     person can walk away with a trophy. And     what’s really wrong with wanting to be     your best? Nothing. In fact, it’s what     drove us.     That’s what made our rival so electric     and so iconic.

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. And to this     day, I call it one of my hardest losses.     The match didn’t just make her a     champion. It actually made her a star.     It launched one of the most talked about     and controversial rivals in tennis. For     more than a decade and a half, every     time we face each other, the atmosphere     shifted. It was thick. The tension was     real. The fire was real. And honestly,     you can feel it. And by the way, you     could hear it with all Maria’s grunting.     Not lying. Still,     I was just copying you.     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, you need toughness, and you     need to show up every single day, year     after year. And Maria did just that.     There are only a few players in my     career who challenged me to be the very     best every single time we stepped out on     the court. Maria Sherupova was one of     them. Whenever I saw her name next to     mine in the draw, I made sure I practice     harder. You know, I made     Okay. I mean, security.     I have a heckler here.     I focused more and I showed up with my     agame because whatever her weakness was     the match before, you better believe     that was her strength the next time. She     was relentless about improving. I     remember once running her left and then     right and then left and then right then     left again and she just refused to give     in and she went for everything. When the     point was over, I finally looked over to     see if I had tired her out, but nothing.

Completely poised. If you didn’t know     better, you would have thought I was the     one doing all the running at that point.     And honestly, the next point I probably     was. She had this fierce never give up     attitude, never surrender that always     kept you on your toes. And I can’t tell     you how many times I was in the locker     room watching her down a set in a break     because I would have to play after her.     And instead of warming up for my own     match, I would literally just sit down.     I would look at my coach and I would     say,     “We’re in for a long one.     Because Maria would come back every     single time. She never quit. She never     gave up.     Of course, you know, I was mad I had to     wait so long. More than once, I wanted     to tell Maria, “Maria, just win in     straight sets. You know you’re going to     win anyway, so just do it already. Why     are you torturing us out here?” But that     was Maria. She was fierce, determined,     uncompromising. She made you earn every     single point. So, let me back up and     kind of address a little bit more the     elephant in the room. How did we get     here? How did I get her number? Like,     how did all this happen? How did we go     from the Wimbledon finals to to this? Me     introducing her to the Hall of Fame.

Well, here’s a short version. And um I     think we have Anna Winter to thank for     that. Yes, that Anna Winter. Every year     she hosts this little party called the     Met Gala. Maybe you’ve heard of it. It’s     one of the most intimidating rooms     you’ll ever be in. Actors, musicians,     designers, influencers, the clam.     Everyone is dazzling. And somehow you     still feel underdressed. And here’s the     thing. If you’re an athlete, you     eventually find other athletes in the     room. And because you know each other     and you’re on the grind, year after     year, Maria and I found ourselves at the     same tables, at the same events, and     talking to each other a little bit more.     And with no grand slams match, the next     day our guards were down. And little by     little, we started to see each other     differently. One year was small talk,     another year was real conversation. And     then one day, it just clicked. This     person I spent years battling across the     net. might we actually like each other?     And we did. One time a mutual friend of     ours said if we if we had met under     different circumstances, we’d be great     friends. I’m not going to tell you after     after hours.     You know who that was.     Why?     Why are you asking me this?

Um and they were right. This mystery     person was right that Maria knows.     But let’s talk about Maria the player in     person. She was a was and by the way is     the definition of professionalism. Um we     had a call actually scheduled at 11     o’clock a.m. and she called me at 11:00     a.m. It wasn’t 11:01. It wasn’t 10:59.     It was right on time. She’s always on     time, always focused, always     disciplined, right on the dot, always     prepared. That’s Maria. And when she     stepped on the court, she gave     absolutely everything she had. And it     didn’t matter if she was playing the     world number one or the world number     300. She showed up with the same     determination every single time. She     didn’t get caught up in the gossip and     the distractions. She wasn’t swayed by     the headlines. She was there for one     reason, to be the best, to win, and to     compete. That was Maria. And that’s     exactly what she became. In 2005, just     after one year after winning Wimbledon,     Maria climbed to world number one. Think     about that. a teenager less than 18     months removed from her breakthrough     standing on top of the sport. That takes     f focus, fearlessness, confidence, which     Maria has, and unbelievable discipline     to to rise that fast.

She never let go     of that standard. And I always admired     that.     She     she went on to win Wimbledon, the US     Open, Australian Open, and eventually     she mastered the surface that humbled     her most, the clay. In fact, I would     always tell myself, give 100% like     Maria, focus, focus, focus. If she can     do it, you can. Yes, Maria, you were     inspiration to me. and without even     knowing it, you always inspired me when     I went out there because I knew I if I     could just focus like you, I could do     well and I could win. So, thank you so     much for that.     Maria’s journey on clay simply made me     better. Maria once famously said she     felt like a cow on ice playing on clay.     And I’m sorry, but listen, I did play     you before once on clay and you weren’t     wrong.     But you know, here’s the difference.     Maria did not accept that as a weakness.     Quietly behind the scenes, she made it     her single most important mission. She     turned her greatest vulnerability into     her greatest weapon. She took that     legendary mental toughness, the same     toughness that she showed every     opponent, and she pointed it right at     the clay until it gave in. And she     conquered it, not once, but twice. Two     French Open titles. That’s who Maria is.     Make your weakness your strength.

That’s her.     That’s her legacy. And the more I’ve     gotten to know Maria, the more I realize     how much we share. Champions actually     always have a lot in common. I once     asked her how does she celebrate her     wins? And she looked at me and she said,     “Celebrate?     What does that even mean? She was always     always focused on the next goal, the     next title, the next challenge. And     honestly, that sounded a little too     familiar.     And when I asked her if she celebrated     her retirement, she shot back, “Did     you?”     We both laughed because no, we both knew     that answering we we both knew that     without answering that, neither one of     us did. Champions do not live in the     rearview mirror. We do not look back. We     keep going. We keep adapting and     thinking about our next win. Champions     move forward. Champions live in the     present. Maria was and is the     personification of that.     Maria’s impact goes far beyond the     court. She won five grand slam titles as     we already know. And that that’s what we     call the career grand slam, which is     something only a handful of um players     are able to do. Scroll a little bit.     Thank you.     She became the world number one at just     18 years old, something I never did.

And     she topped and she held that spot for 21     weeks in her career. Maria won 36 WTA     titles, earned over $38 million in prize     money, and spent more than a decade     ranked inside of the top 10. She was     also an Olympic medalist, winning silver     at the 2012 Olympic Games.     Well,     security,     please.     Yes.     And beyond the numbers, Maria was the     most recognized and admired athletes on     the planet. She was the highest paid     female athlete in the world for 11     straight years.     and she showed us all how to take     excellence on the court and turn it into     excellence in business and fashion and     branding and everything that she     touched. She inspired young girls around     the globe and inspired them in the world     that they if she can do it, they can do     it too.

She could win on the biggest     stages and they could too and they could     conquer new ones. She changed how women     not only approached tennis but sport and     opportunity.     She showed us that you can be fierce on     the court and strategic off the court     and unapologetically herself the entire     time. And she always did it with her     head high, proud, strong, classy, and     yes, with that signature grunt.     And today, her biggest joy isn’t only a     trophy, it’s her son, Theodore. And     she’s taken that same focus, that same     fire, and poured into being a mom, a     great mom, steady, calm, and thoughtful.     She actually reminds me a lot of Venus.     And the more I get to know her, the more     I think about the things we share and we     can share in the future. Maria’s honest,     she gets to the point quickly. She’s     earnest. She’s loyal. She’s family     oriented.

And at her core, she’s just a     great person. If I didn’t know her     better, I think she could have been my     sister. The yang,     the yin to my yang,     the calm to my storm.     So don’t see be surprised when I’m     calling her with all the dramas in my     life because that’s what sisters do.     So what started as a rivalry turned into     an enormous amount of respect. And what     grew from respect has turned to     friendship. And like I said, champions     adjust. Maria didn’t just win matches.     She built a legacy that will last     forever. Last year I asked Maria to be     my tennis ball.     And I think this is her way of saying     yes. So tonight is my honor as her     former rival, her former fan, and now     her forever friend,     and one of the world’s greatest sports     heroes of all times and champions to     welcome Maria Sherupova into the     International Tennis Hall of Fame.     Congratulations.     Heat.     Heat.