INTERNATIONAL TENNIS HALL OF FAME INDUCTIONS OF BRYAN BROTHERS AND SHARAPOVA ONCE AGAIN SHOW POWER OF COMMUNAL FORCES
by Joel Drucker
So much that shapes the tennis journey surfaced beautifully Saturday evening during the International Hall of Fame induction ceremony. As the Bryan brothers and Maria Sharapova took the stage to earn their honors and thank so many, memories were shared less of glorious public victories and more of those private moments that express ambition and define character.
Bob and Mike were introduced by their coach, Australian David Macpherson. Calling it an “honor to be in the trenches” with his charges for over a decade, Macpherson lovingly cited how he dubbed them the “Navy SEALs of tennis” – strong praise for Bob and Mike’s commitment to intensive training.
Once it was turn for the brothers to speak, in trademark fashion, their comments volleyed back-and-forth. Mike spoke about “awe and gratitude,” soon followed by Bob’s praise for their Stanford coach Dick Gould, who told them to “be proud but never satisfied.”
As anticipated, Bob and Mike most emphatically praised their parents, Wayne and Kathy, a pair of teaching pros who gave them everything from high-octane inspiration to on-court nuance. “This honor belongs to you,” said Mike, “as much as it belongs to us.” So it was that the brothers recalled family moments at small hotels, late night meals at the Waffle House, and a never-ending blend of music, tennis, and the spirit of competition and creation.
Intriguing relationships shaped by the cauldron of competition also surfaced in a surprising way when it came time for Sharapova’s introduction. Her presenter: the woman Sharapova beat in her first major final, future Hall of Fame Serena Williams. Calling that ’04 Wimbledon moment “one of my hardest losses,” Williams tracked through how the two made their way from antagonism to friendship. “Little by little,” said Williams, “we started to see each other differently.”
Then came Sharapova’s turn. Having often shown traces of humor in her press conferences, this evening Sharapova told the Bryans, “If only I had your volleys, my father would be thrilled.”
Grateful as well for Serena’s introduction and the way their relationship has shifted in recent years, Sharapova subsequently praised many of her team members and then, as happens in the case of many inductees, praised family most of all. “We really did this together, didn’t we?” she asked her father, Yuri. It was indeed a remarkable tale, of this man had come from Russia to Florida with nothing more than $700 and the dream of helping his six-year-old daughter become a champion.
Praise also came for Sharapova’s mother, Yelena, and the way she passed on such values as elegance and kindness.
“In giving my life to tennis,” Sharapova said, “tennis gave me a life.” When it comes to expressing what it means to join the great community of men and women who’ve entered the ITHF, it’s hard to find a more concise and eloquent expression.
