00:00I 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 oh what's going in what's going down like what do I need to jump in what I need to do right but 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
00:29yes 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 the trophy and what's really wrong with one
00:59wanting to be your best nothing in fact it's what drove us that's what made our rivals 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
01:23and the more I've gotten to know Maria the more I realized how much we share champions actually always have a lot in common
01:31I once asked her how does she celebrate her wins and she looked at me and she said celebrate
01:38what 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
01:50and when I asked her if she celebrated her retirement she shot back did you
01:55we both laughed because no we both knew that answering we both knew that without answering that neither one of us did
02:04champions do not live in the rearview mirror we do not look back we keep going we keep adapting and thinking about our next win
02:11champions move forward champions live in the present Maria was and is the personification of that
02:17so what started as a rivalry turned into an enormous amount of respect and what grew
02:24from respect has turned to friendship and like I said champions adjust Maria didn't
02:29just win matches she built a legacy that will last forever
02:32last year I asked Maria to be my tennis ball and I think this is her way of saying yes
02:41so 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 Sharapova into the International Tennis Hall of Fame
02:57who would have thought Serena Williams interviewed me for a full hour to prepare for today's speech that's when I realized it was really game on
03:07Serena I thought that maybe today you'd let me win just this once but
03:14you may have won the speech competition so
03:17as an athlete and a competitor I've always found it hard to admit when other players shared any of my best qualities
03:24when it came to Serena it was especially difficult because I recognized that she shared many of those qualities
03:31and she capitalized on them as well if not better than I did
03:36she certainly has the trophies to show us
03:39to everyone else joining us here in beautiful Newport this weekend let me start by saying that I'm
03:44so humbled to be standing in front of you today to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame alongside the legends of our sports
03:53it's truly the honor of a lifetime Bob and Mike congratulations on an exceptional career if only I had your volleys my father just would be thrilled
04:04thrilled
04:07till this day he asks when are you going to serve in volley
04:11I was always excited to navigate this Hall of Fame journey alongside you both but after getting to know you both in the last few months
04:22I feel even more strongly that it's a privilege to share the stage with you today
04:26dad
04:27we really did this together didn't we
04:30I was a little nervous when my dad told me he was going to choose a suit for today without any supervision but you do you look good I approve
04:52it's always a scary thought as a daughter
04:58I am such a lucky girl to have navigated this journey under your wings
05:05when no one believed we could you always did
05:09you had conviction in your decisions and you never looked back
05:13you were tough you were tough and you repeatedly expected me to raise my standards
05:19but along the way you never forgot your most important role
05:23to be my father
05:24it is a gift I am deeply grateful for
05:27thank you to my mom
05:30I know you were too nervous to watch my matches
05:34but I I hope you're watching this
05:36um
05:36today I'm wearing the very first um
05:40Tiffany pearls you ever purchased when we earned our our big paycheck
05:43you are a true testament to the unspoken lessons you teach me every day
05:48elegance
05:50kindness
05:51unconditional love
05:53and I love you from the bottom of my heart and I'm so lucky to call you my best friend
05:57when I look back at photos or videos of me on the court
06:01it's the one thing I notice
06:03the relentless pursuit of improvement
06:06regardless of any circumstances
06:08that
06:10was the true heartbeat of my game
06:13I was never the fastest
06:15or the strongest
06:16and I certainly wasn't the best mover
06:19and max
06:19oftentimes reminded me of that
06:21but when you fine-tune your mental fortitude
06:25you can transcend the limits of your body
06:28every single time
06:30I said it once and it rings even truer now
06:33in giving my life to tennis
06:37tennis gave me a life
06:39and what a remarkable remarkable life
06:42and I'm so deeply grateful for it
06:44thank you
06:45thank you
06:47toobs like
06:47so
06:48thank you
06:51so
06:51thank you
06:52so
06:53thank you
06:53thank you
06:53thank you
