Sharapova, who retired from pro tennis after the 2020 Australian Open, became eligible for the Tennis Hall of Fame this year. While the Russian getting into the Hall of Fame wasn’t surprising, nobody really expected to see Williams being a big part of her special day in Newport.

After receiving a very loud applause and positively surprising the crowd, the American tennis legend cracked a joke.

“I know I’m probably the last person you would be expecting to see here tonight. Honestly, a few years ago, I probably would have said the same thing,” Williams admitted.

Williams explains how she became a part of Sharapova’s Hall of Fame acceptance

It is not a secret that Williams and Sharapova were once one of the fiercest rivals. Also, it wasn’t a secret that the two didn’t like each other much on a personal level. But over the last couple of years – since each retired from pro tennis – they started developing a bit of relationship and speaking respectfully about each other. All of that led to the Russian tennis legend contacting the American earlier this year with a request.

“A few months ago, Maria texted me that she needed to talk … when I called her, she asked if I would introduce her into the Hall of Fame. Before she could even finish her question, I said yes—loud, immediately, with my whole chest. Because, of course, it’s Maria,” Williams explained.

After the ceremony was over, Sharapova showed some love and appreciation for the 43-year-old on Instagram.

“Thank you for having my back tonight, @serenawilliams. It meant the world to me,” the former five-time Grand Slam winner captioned her Instagram post.