<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Join <em>L'OFFICIEL </em>as we break down how these two women went from fierce rivals to true friends, highlighting the impact of competitive-fueled motivation in the world of professional tennis. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nothing guarantees a good tennis match quite like a rivalry. <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/politics-culture/history-making-female-athletes-sports-world-record-womens-history-month-simone-biles-serena-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Athletes</a> come to face one another time and time again, with each matchup ensuring new moments of glory for each side. Since Maria Sharapova&rsquo;s win against <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/serena-williams-us-open-denim-tennis-skirt-2004" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Serena Williams</a> in the 2004 Wimbledon finals, the two have been intensely feuding with one another, with quite personal possible jabs being thrown back and forth. The rivalry has finally been reconciled with the two being photographed embracing at the 2025 Hall of Fame induction, in which Williams had only the highest respect for her retired opponent, Sharapova.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The two <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/the-most-beautiful-women-tennis-players-us-open-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tennis stars</a> have claimed that their feud fueled their off-court relationship and they are now close friends, often appearing together on red carpets and supporting one another's achievements. In her introduction speech, Williams called <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/most-beautiful-women-olympians-serena-williams-simone-biles-maria-sharapova" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sharapova</a> a &ldquo;forever friend&rdquo;, later stating on social media, &ldquo;this is women supporting each other and respecting each other&rsquo;s greatness.&rdquo; Sharapova thanked Williams for their relationship and said, &ldquo;She helped crystallize my identity as a competitor.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The two competitors highlight the importance of rivalry in athletics, often pushing one another to train harder and with more passion. To honor these two athletes, here are all the moments that pushed Williams and Sharapova&rsquo;s relationship, influencing their <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/highest-paid-female-tennis-players-ranked-coco-gauff" target="_blank" rel="noopener">professional careers</a> and personal lives. </span></p>

<h2 class="hero__title" style="text-align: center;">Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams Friendship Timeline:&nbsp;Wimbledon 2004</h2>

Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams. Getty Images.

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/history-of-tennis-whites-trend-summer-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wimbledon</a> Championships for women&rsquo;s singles in 2004 saw a breakthrough moment for Sharapova&rsquo;s athletic career as she beat Williams in the finals, taking home her first major title. Williams was the first seed and Sharapova had been placed at 13th, proving to be a major upset in the competition, compounded by Sharapova&rsquo;s youth, given that she was just 17 at the time. </span></p>

<h2 class="hero__title" style="text-align: center;">Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams Friendship Timeline: Australian Open 2007</h2>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Named as one of the best performances of Williams&rsquo; career, the finals of the 2007 Australian Open pitted Sharapova and Williams against each other in an intense battle for the cup. This win was a part of a 19 straight matches that saw Williams beat Sharapova, each of these matches well attended as fans grew involved in the dramatic <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/biggest-fashion-feuds-in-history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rivalry</a> between the two. </span></p>

<h2 class="hero__title" style="text-align: center;">Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams Friendship Timeline: Olympics 2012</h2>

Serena Williams. Getty Images.

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Serena Williams made history in 2012 as the second woman to achieve a Golden Slam, topping it off with an Olympic win against Sharapova, just after snagging her fifth Wimbledon title. Sharapova also was coming off of a good year, having achieved a Grand Slam with her win at the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/jessica-pegula-tennis-player-husband-parents-fun-facts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">French Open</a> in 2012. Despite this, the matchup was lopsided as Williams played strongly, while Sharapova&rsquo;s game was full of errors, per critics at the time.&nbsp;</span></p>

<h2 class="hero__title" style="text-align: center;">Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams Friendship Timeline: 2013 Interviews</h2>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2013, Williams was interviewed by </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-sports/serena-williams-the-great-one-88694/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rolling Stone</a>.</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> After the feature came out, fans dissected the tennis star's words and speculated that Williams may have been throwing some jabs at Sharapova. IN the interview, Williams was quoted during a phone call with her sister, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/venus-williams-tennis-book-strive-happy-viking-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Venus Williams</a>, in which she said: &ldquo;She&rsquo;s still not going to be invited to the cool parties. And, hey, if she wants to be with the guy with a black heart, go for it.&rdquo; The guy in question was rumored to be Grigor Dimitrov, a possible ex-boyfriend of Williams, who at the time was linked romantically to Sharapova. </span></p>

<h2 class="hero__title" style="text-align: center;">Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams Friendship Timeline: Sharapova's Memoir <em>Unstoppable: My Life So Far&nbsp;</em>2017</h2>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharapova wrote about her rivalry with Williams, an unexpected choice as the two were still in active competition with one another. In the book, Sharapova claims that she heard Williams crying in the locker room after her loss in the 2004 Wimbledon final, and suggests that Serena&rsquo;s hatred of Maria was the fuel to her string of wins. Sharapova went on to question whether the two will emerge as friends, citing their intense history of competition as the driving force in their professional <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/tenniscore-us-open-tennis-zendaya-sports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tennis</a> careers. </span></p>

<h2 class="hero__title" style="text-align: center;">Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams Friendship Timeline: Maria Sharapova Induction Into Tennis Hall of Fame 2025</h2>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In August 2025, Sharapova was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame after she <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/andy-murray-most-memorable-wimbledon-moments-tennis-style" target="_blank" rel="noopener">retired</a> from the sport back in 2020, and there to introduce her was none other than Serena Williams. Shocking all spectators, the two revealed the deep respect they have for one another and spoke about the friendship that has blossomed between the two in the past few years. Both in prepared speeches at the ceremony and later on social media, the two women emphasized the importance of competitive rivalries in athletics and the inspiration they gave one another. </span></p>

Rivals to Friends: Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams, Two Iconic Women in Tennis

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