Maria Sharapova made a glamorous return to the spotlight this week as she joined basketball legend Magic Johnson and Jamie Lee Curtis to honour trailblazing tennis champion Billie Jean King.
The occasion marked a historic moment as Billie became the first recipient of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame's new sports entertainment category.
Looking effortlessly elegant, Maria, 37, wowed in a flowing pleated dress cinched at the waist with a matching belt.
© Getty ImagesShe styled the look with a sleek brown clutch and coordinating heels that added inches to her already statuesque 6'2" frame.
Standing side by side with 6'9" NBA icon Magic, Maria nearly matched his height as they posed for photos, both beaming with pride and admiration for the woman at the centre of the celebration.
© GC ImagesIt was a rare public appearance for the former Wimbledon champion, who retired from professional tennis in 2020.
Since stepping away from the sport, Maria has focused on family and business ventures, including welcoming her first child, son Theodore, in 2022 with fiancé Alexander Gilkes. But she made time to honour Billie, 81, a woman she has long admired for her pioneering role in the game they both love.
The event was followed by a star-studded celebration hosted by PEOPLE and e.l.f. Cosmetics at The Aster in Los Angeles. Magic looked sharp in a tailored grey suit and crisp white sneakers, while Maria mingled with guests, gracious as ever.
© Maria Sharapova attends a celebration of tennis legend Billie Jean King's star on the Hollywood Walk of FameBillie, a true icon of equality in sport, addressed the crowd with her trademark humour and grace. "The important thing is, I don’t want to be the last one," she said of her trailblazing honour.
With 39 Grand Slam titles to her name and a lifetime devoted to creating equal opportunities for women in tennis, Billie’s impact goes far beyond the court. She founded the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and has never stopped advocating for progress, from pushing for equal pay to proposing changes in tennis to make the sport more accessible to younger fans.
"I want to make it easy for fans. I think it should be 1-2-3-4, not 15-love, 30-love," Billie said. "If we want to get eight, nine, 10, 11, 12-year-old children involved in our sport we have to make it accessible to them – not to a 60-year-old fan."
© Karwai TangMaria has always been outspoken in her admiration for Billie, crediting her for paving the way for future generations of female athletes. In 2004, Maria herself became a household name at just 17 when she famously defeated Serena Williams on Centre Court to win her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon. She would go on to complete a career Grand Slam, becoming the first Russian woman to do so, with victories in Melbourne, New York, Paris and London.
Though her career was not without controversy – including a 15-month suspension in 2016 after testing positive for a newly banned substance she had been prescribed – Maria has since turned the page. Her retirement marked the beginning of a quieter chapter filled with motherhood and entrepreneurship, as well as a more natural, relaxed beauty look.
Last year, she made a graceful return to Wimbledon, not as a competitor but as a guest. Swapping her famous golden locks for a more understated style, Maria looked nearly unrecognisable as she posed on the iconic Centre Court.
