Jessica Pegula reacts to Maria Sharapova rewearing her 'iconic' Audrey Hepburn-inspired dress to receive HOF ring at US Open 19 years later

Maria Sharapova was inducted to the Hall of Fame on Sunday, August 24. Her bold black outfit drew quite the attention because it was the same outfit she wore back in 2006 when she won her first US Open title.

Sharapova wore a black, crystal-embellished Nike dress during her straight-sets victory over Justine Henin. The dress was inspired by British actress Audrey Hepburn's outfit in Breakfast at Tiffany's. 19 years later, Sharapova reintroduced the look, donning the same dress at her Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Tennis star Jessica Pegula, who is fresh off winning her first-round match at the US Open, reacted to this story presented by Tennis Channel on Instagram. She had a one-word reaction:

"Iconic."

Sharapova won five Grand Slams in her career and flourished in the era dominated by the Williams sisters. She won the US Open in 2006, Wimbledon in 2004, the Australian Open in 2008, and two titles at Roland Garros in 2012 and 2014.

Her Hall of Fame induction event was notably attended by her longtime rival Serena Williams, who admired the Russian for always posing a tough challenge whenever they faced each other on the tennis court.

Maria Sharapova reflects back on her 2026 US Open dress

Maria Sharapova at 2025 US Open - Day 2 - Source: Getty

At the time, Maria Sharapova and Nike collaborated with designer Natalie Candrian to create a custom little black dress (LBD) for her night matches. The dress was an inspiration from Audrey Hepburn’s Givenchy classic.

“My night dress is inspired by Audrey Hepburn. The look of it was basically like a little black dress for going out on the town.” Sharapova said, adding, “[she] harbors an ambition to enroll in fashion school after her tennis career.”

“When I think of anywhere that I play, I want to bring a sense of elegance to the feeling that I have when I walk onto the court. That’s what I felt with the 2006 dress, and what I really wanted to relive in this dress is the moment of elegance and thinking of Audrey Hepburn and her classic Givenchy dress,” she added.

Recently, Maria Sharapova turned heads with her all-black attire while attending Venus Williams' match against 11th-seeded Karolina Muchova on Monday at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Williams, who made the comeback to a Grand Slam event after two years, lost the game in three sets: 6-3, 2-6, 6-1.

About the author

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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Edited by Pratham K Sharma