Maria Sharapova was never the type to look back on her achievements. Joining the International Tennis Hall of Fame gave her the opportunity to do so.
“Wow, there’s a lot of sacrifices. There’s a lot of hard work,” she said, the day before she was deliberated with dominant doubles brothers Bob and Mike Brian on Friday. “And, boy, worth it.”
The Telecom Sharapova is one of the 10 women who won a solo career Grand Slam, becoming an instant star when she won Wimbledon in 2004, beating two-time defending champion Serena Williams in the finals. She also won the U.S. Open in 2006, the Australian Open in 2008 and the French Open in 2012 and 2014, and was the first Russian to rank first in the WTA singles rankings.
Sharapova also helped Russia win the team now known as the Billie Jean King Cup in 2008, where she won a singles silver medal at the 2012 Olympics and lost to Williams in the final.
Her endorsement deal earned millions of dollars over bonuses, appeared in fashion shoots and shared the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition with supermodels.
Sharapova retired in 2020 at the age of 32, a 15-year career, and was interrupted by multiple shoulder surgeries after testing positive for the newly banned drug Newled Banned Drug Meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open. (The initial two-year fine was shortened by the Sports Arbitration Court, which ruled that she was “less than important negligence” in the case and could not be “deemed as intentional poison doper”.)
Sharapova visited the remodeled hall in Newport, Rhode Island on Friday and said she was as dizzy as a teenager as the onboarding ceremony approached reconnecting with someone so important in her career.
“There’s a feeling that you have to walk through these halls,” she said. “You realize you’re such a big piece, our game history and a small part of all the athletes who just made themselves.”
Bob and Mike Bryan won a record 16 major championship twins in men’s doubles, spending 438 weeks in No. 1 doubles. (Mike Bryan is actually a professional leader with 18 major men’s doubles titles; he won two championships in Jack Sock, while Bob was injured in 2018.)
They also helped the United States win the 2007 Davis Cup and won the gold medal at the 2012 Olympics, which has been noted in the hall exhibition.
“Just walking by and seeing … all the people we worship and their relics there, and then going down the corridor and seeing the shirts we wear at the Olympics is incredible,” Bob Bryan said. “It’s humble.”
Hall President Patrick McEnroe was the captain of the 2007 Davis Cup championship team, the last of the Americans. Bob Bryan, captain of Team USA, failed to end the drought in Spain last year.
“That Davis Cup and playing for your country at the Olympics, I know it’s very important to them,” said John McEnroe, a younger brother of Hall of Famer John McEnroe. “What I grew up with my brothers with me was, if you have the opportunity to represent your country, do it.”
Sharapova said about 16 hours before the admission ceremony that her speech was about 80%. In a rare case, the Bryans question whether they were going to give a speech or two together.
“I think I want wings,” Bob Bryan said.
