LeBron James Honors Serena Williams With Heartfelt Video Message

From one great competitor to another, he saluted the 23-time Grand Slam champion.

The sports world had all the feels Monday night as Serena Williams began play in what is expected to be the final tournament of her career.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion rose to the occasion with a spirited 6–3, 6–3 victory over 80th-ranked Danka Kovinić in front of a star-studded crowd in the opening round of the 2022 U.S. Open. Williams advances to the second round, and she also will play doubles with sister Venus Williams.

But with the possibility that Monday could’ve been Serena’s final career singles match, another legendary athlete posted an appreciation video.

NBA superstar LeBron James saluted Williams as a champion and a trailblazer.

You can listen to James’s entire message to Williams below.

“Congratulations to you on an unbelievable career,” James said. “You’re a GOAT. What you’ve done for the sport of tennis, what you’ve done for women and what you’ve done for the category of sport—period—is unprecedented.

“It’s been an honor to watch your journey, to watch you conquer all the goals that you ever set, to see you break records, to see you just be amazing and transcendent—not only on the tennis court, but also off. … I just want to say thank you for just being this inspiration for so many. … Win, lose or draw, it didn’t matter. We all knew you were the greatest.”

A legendary career that served as an inspiration to the world.@kingjames toasts @serenawilliams ahead of the 🐐’s final @usopen matches. #ThankYouSerena pic.twitter.com/0bRLhEsd1k

— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) August 29, 2022