Even before Serena Williams left, the stars of the scene bowed to the tennis queen.
Even before Serena Williams left, the stars of the scene bowed to the tennis queen.
Rafael Nadal and others paid their highest respects to the 23-time Grand Slam tournament champion, who will face Danka Kovinic of Montenegro at the US Open on the night of August 30 (1:00 a.m. CEST) at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Williams, 40, will most likely end her glorious career after the home tournament.
Rafael Nadal (Spain/Grand Slam record winner):
“As an athlete, she was not only a tennis player, but also one of the most important athletes in the history of the sport. From a tennis point of view, it is a great loss that she is leaving. Now she deserves to be able to choose what they do wants. She is a legend. I hope that she will continue to be involved in the tennis world.”
Coco Gauff (USA/world rankings twelfth):
“Before Serena came along, there wasn’t really an icon in the sport who looked like me. Growing up I never thought I was any different because the world No. 1 was someone who looked like me. She has never made herself small. I love that she’s always aspired to be bigger.”
Iga Swiatek (Poland/world number one):
“For me it’s still quite surreal when I see her. I still feel like a kid watching her. She’s the big role model for sure. Especially with how she manages to do business or Being a mom and playing at the same time. I think it’s great that we have someone like that in our sport who has paved the way and shown us that you can do anything. The sky is the limit.”
Emma Raducanu (Great Britain/Defending Champion at the US Open):
“Serena has achieved so much in this game. It’s really inspiring to play for so long. It just shows her drive. It’s pretty incredible how dominant she has been for most of her career.”
Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece/world ranking fifth):
“Serena had kind of a domino effect with her career, with her community. She was very inspirational, including for me. What she did on and off the tennis court lifted the game of tennis and made it so important as a sport. She’s a phenomenon.”
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
