Retiring tennis ace Serena Williams has named her Greatest of All Time (GOAT) list of athletes that she admires the most.
One of her picks is Mercedes Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton. The pair have been vocal about their respect for one another throughout their respective careers as they have both been pushing the limits in their sports.
Williams, 40, opened her US Open campaign with a straight-sets win over Danka Kovinic on Monday but has stated her intent to retire after the final major of 2022.
The curtain call comes 27 years after she turned pro in 1995, the same year Hamilton, 37, made his competitive karting debut.
In an unfortunate moment of timing, the praise form Williams has come just after Hamilton crashed out of the Belgian Grand Prix after an incident with Fernando Alonso that he said was his own fault.
“Oh my gosh. I mean, I think Lewis Hamilton, obviously,” Williams told TIME magazine. “I mean, for me, he’s not only the greatest, but also he does so much, and he’s an amazing guy.” Hamilton quote-tweeted the interview, replying with a heart emoji as he said he was “honoured” to be held in such high regard by a fellow great.
In terms of who else Williams sees as being an elite presence in the sporting world, she turned her attention towards golf and basketball.
“One or two, that’s so not fair, because I can’t limit that,” added Williams. “I think LeBron [James] is amazing, I think Tiger [Woods] is amazing. [We] can’t start this conversation without naming the original, Michael Jordan.
Aware of her own talent and influence, Williams made sure that she was also involved in the list of greats.
“So I just think those are legendary names that will live on, you know? But you can put me in there, too.” When asked if she felt she deserved to be part of the ‘GOAT’ conversation, she replied: “Oh, hands down. For sure.”
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