Maria Sharapova on superpower of being heard

She believes the qualities needed to become a Hall of Fame female athlete are the same ones required to be a successful chief executive

- Vanessa Friedman

NEW YORK - On Aug 25, the first day of the US Open women's singles draw, two days after her induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame and five years after she officially left the game, Maria Sharapova once again stood center court in Flushing Meadow, Queens, to receive an official US Open ring.

As usual, she wore a tennis dress designed to make history.

Specifically, a new version of the tennis dress she wore when she won the US Open in 2006.

That one, inspired by Hollywood actress Audrey Hepburn's little black Givenchy dress in the iconic film Breakfast At Tiffany's (1961) and bedecked with Swarovski crystals at the neckline, was the first "evening" dress worn by a female competitor.

It was also the first time a player had worn a different look for a night game than a day game, and overnight, it made Sharapova one of the first tennis dress influencers.

Her dress on Aug 25 was similar, though rather than stopping at her upper thigh, it is mid-calf length with a long pleated underskirt.

"It's a version of the dress for someone that's grown up," said Sharapova, 38, a few days before the ceremony. And it was a sign she was getting ready to compete again—though this time in a new arena.

Sharapova's legacy as a player is complicated. She was never a beloved tennis figure. Often referred to as the "ice queen" during her time on the women's tour, when she won five Grand Slam tournaments, the Russian famously saw her peers not as comrades-in-arms, but obstacles to be eliminated.

Injuries and a 15-month doping ban further complicated her story, and she retired in 2020.