When Serena Williams reached the finals of the US Open in 1999, nobody thought that she will take the sensational Swiss player, Martina Hingis down. However, she did and won her first grand slam title. The Williams sisters became an inspiration for millions around the world to follow their passion. One of them was Lewis Hamilton, the legendary British F1 driver who won a record-equaling seven Driver’s Championships.
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In a recent interview for the TIME magazine, he revealed how the renowned American sisters inspired him to be the best, irrespective of how the majority sees them.
The Williams sisters inspired Lewis Hamilton
The legendary F1 driver Lewis Hamilton had watched one of the matches of the sisters. The driver was initially struggling to make a mark on a sport that was dominated by people unlike him in the past. However, watching Venus and Serena Williams, do the same in tennis gave him strength. He said, “They were the two most inspiring sports figures for me.” The players gave him the courage to not hold himself back because he was different from everyone else.
He said, “Especially growing up in my sport, where I’m the only person of color, seeing these two prominent figures, also the only people of color really gave me a lot of confidence that I can do something similar. It’s not impossible.” The hope and examples were right in front of him, and he took the best out of them. He is now the winner of seven F1 titles, and is one of the greatest drivers in F1 history.
Moreover, now he shares a beautiful bond with his idol, Serena Williams. The 23-time grand slam champion makes sure to make an appearance during his races in the US. Recently, Serena and her entire family were at the inaugural race at the Miami Grand Prix.
Serena Williams – an inspiration for millions around the world
The former world no.1 has undoubtedly inspired many tennis players of the current generation during her incredible career on the WTA tour. Be it the world no.1 Iga Swiatek or the four-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka or the French Open finalist Coco Gauff, almost everyone on the WTA and ATP tour idolizes the player and aspires to emulate her achievements in the future.
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Williams’ aura is not limited to just players. She has inspired millions of common people around the world to be the best version of themselves. For example, one Indonesian fan of Williams quit his job to become a tennis analyst.
What is your best memory of Serena? Do you think she will make it to the latter stages of the ongoing US Open?
Written by
Edited by
Tony Thomas