US former President Barack Obama and tennis great Billie Jean King led the tributes to Serena Williams after her US Open third-round loss to Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday, likely the final match of her sparkling career.
The 23-times singles Grand Slam champion’s 7-5 6-7(4) 6-1 defeat sparked a flood of messages on social media, as current and former athletes across sport as well as the world at large celebrated her achievements of the last 25 years.
“Congratulations, Serena, for your heart, skill, intelligence, dedication, and grace,” Obama wrote on Twitter yesterday. “Few athletes have inspired more people both in and beyond their sport!” Former first lady Michelle Obama, who had appeared with Williams at events for her “Let’s Move!” campaign to promote physical activity for children while at the White House, offered her “congrats on an amazing career.”
“How lucky were we to be able to watch a young girl from Compton grow up to become one of the greatest athletes of all time,” she wrote on Twitter. Swimming great Michael Phelps hailed Williams for not only changing tennis but also empowering the next generation.
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