Maria Sharapova said her long rivalry with Serena Williams now carries something she values more than victory: deep respect. Speaking onstage with Gayle King at the TIME100 Summit in New York City on April 22, Sharapova talked about her new podcast, her Hall of Fame induction last year and the moment Williams introduced her at the ceremony.
The five-time Grand Slam champion said she called Williams personally to ask her to make the introduction, adding that there was no one else she wanted onstage. Sharapova, who upset Williams in the 2004 Wimbledon final at age 17, said they had “some of the toughest moments and some of the biggest victories” against each other, but ended up with a relationship defined by respect. That exchange at last year’s induction was widely seen as a closing chapter in one of tennis’s most intense rivalries.
Sharapova’s remarks came as she continues to build a post-tennis career that has moved far beyond the court. She retired in 2020 after a career that included an Olympic medal and a place in the Hall of Fame. She now serves as a board member of Moncler, a global ambassador for Nike and an investor or adviser to companies including Supergoop!, Bala Bangles, Tonal, Therabody, Public.com, MoonPay and Cofertility.
Her latest project is Pretty Tough, a podcast she announced in April and described as a series of interviews with powerful women about their “pursuit of achievement without apology.” The first episode features actress Zoe Saldaña and L.A. Lakers co-owner Jeanie Buss. Sharapova said she does not play much tennis anymore and prefers other ways to stay active, saying movement remains central to her life even if it no longer comes from chasing balls across a baseline. “We knew what our bodies felt like at the top of our careers, right? And it just doesn't feel quite there,” she said. “Why not do things that expose our better sides?”
The shift fits the broader shape of Sharapova’s second act: from teenage champion who moved from Russia to the United States at 7 to a public figure now focused on business, media and women’s ambition. More on her comments from the summit is available here:
