Maria Sharapova once again found herself at the center of tennis New York — and not merely as a guest. In a single weekend she received the sport’s highest honors and offered the crowd a vivid symbolic comeback: she walked onto the courts of Flushing Meadows in a reimagined version of the dress in which she won the 2006 US Open. A story where competitiveness, style, and recognition converge in one moment.
Honored Twice: Hall of Fame and a Commemorative Ring
The celebrations began with Sharapova’s induction into the Tennis Hall of Fame — the ceremony led by Serena Williams, her longtime rival and a yardstick of the era. The very next day at the US Open arena, Kim Clijsters presented Maria with a commemorative ring — the traditional token for new Hall of Fame members. Two tour legends — and two emotional accents underscoring the scale of the Russian star’s career.
On the Courts of Flushing Meadows: From Venus’s Match to a Walkout with the Bryans
Before the ceremonies, Maria stopped by Venus Williams’s match against Karolina Muchova, one of the storylines of the opening day. Then Sharapova stepped under the lights herself — alongside the great doubles team Bob and Mike Bryan, whose name has long been synonymous with the highest standard in doubles.
A Look with Meaning: Nike Atelier and an Echo of the 2006 Title
For her public appearance, Maria chose Nike Atelier — an updated interpretation of that very ‘championship’ dress with rhinestones. This is not just fashion: a visual quotation from the season she conquered New York, a subtle reminder that style and results have always walked side by side in her career.
"New York Shaped Me": Words from Center Court
Addressing the stands, Sharapova noted that New York’s courts have been the place of her emotional extremes — from the elation of victory to the hard lessons of defeat. She recalled how she once walked out here ‘in a dress inspired by Audrey Hepburn,’ and how years later she received an honor every professional dreams of. The core of her speech was this: the US Open is part of her path, and that path is part of the tournament’s DNA.
Why Serena in Particular: Behind the Big Ceremony
In the ESPN studio, Maria said her first impulse was to invite Serena. She wrote a short message — ‘Got a minute?’ — which turned into an hour-long conversation and the start of a big idea they managed to keep secret until the stage. The choice seems impeccable: in Sharapova’s eyes, it was a tribute to a rival whose role in shaping her own career is beyond dispute.
A Rivalry That Became a Friendship
Maria emphasized the mutual respect: both understood the price of daily work, discipline, and sacrifice — without which you don’t win majors. There is always just one trophy at the top — and they often stood in each other’s way. But it is from such duels that not only history is born, but a human bond as well. After countless title-deciding matches, their rivalry transformed into friendship — without dulling the edge of those battles.
Greatness That Endures
Life changes, roles change — but Sharapova’s status as one of the defining figures of her era does not. New York again became the stage where her past and present met in a single frame: fresh honors, a familiar dress silhouette, and warm applause. This is not a comeback to the tour, but a return of meaning — a reminder that truly great careers continue to live far beyond the net and the scoreboard.
