How Serena Williams took over the spotlight on Day 11 at Miami Open 2024 ft. Grigor Dimitrov and Jannik Sinner
Tennis legend Serena Williams made a dazzling appearance at the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida on Day 11 of the 2024 Miami Open.
Williams was seen attending the men's semifinal action live on Day 11, as second seed Jannik Sinner faced off against Daniil Medvedev and fourth seed Alexander Zverev took on Grigor Dimitrov. Despite the high-quality tennis on display in the Masters 1000 event, the shutterbugs repeatedly turned their attention to the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
Tennis TV took to X (formerly Twitter) and posted a video of Serena Williams in attendance at the 2024 Miami Open semifinals:
The eight-time Miami Open champion was earlier seen supporting her sister Venus Williams, who went up against Diana Shnaider in her opening-round match.
As for the action on Day 11, Jannik Sinner put up a dominant performance against Daniil Medvedev in the first semifinal, defeating the Russian with a scoreline of 6-1, 6-2.
Williams interacted with the youngster post-match, commending his display. She hailed Sinner's emphatic forehand and wished to have had the same in her skill set during her playing days.
Their interaction can be seen below:
"I wish I had my forehand like that," Serena Williams said.
"Don't say that," Jannik Sinner replied with a smile.
"No seriously, the racquet speed, the power, I was like, 'Wow! Night and day, you're unbelievable. Congratulations," Serena Williams said.
Serena also attended the second semifinal between Alexander Zverev and Grigor Dimitrov, where Dimitrov eventually prevailed in three sets 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-4. The Bulgarian is now one win away from capturing his second Masters 1000 title on the ATP tour.
Serena and Dimitrov hold each other in high regard and are known to be good friends. The American was visibly in high spirits during Dimitrov's encounter at the Hard Rock Arena.
In another video posted by Tennis TV, Serena can be seen cheering on the Bulgarian as he took down the first set against Zverev:
Serena Williams has won the Miami Open an astonishing eight times in her career
Serena Williams is the most successful player in the history of the Miami Open so far.
Williams has an outstanding record in the Miami Open, amassing 76 wins from 85 matches and eight title-winning runs at the event. She reached her first final in 1999 when the tournament was held in Key Biscayne and put up a tough fight against her sister Venus Williams. However, Venus eventually won the tie in three sets.
The former World No. 1 captured her first crown in Miami in 2002, outfoxing the top three seeds Martina Hingis, Venus Williams, and Jennifer Capriaty en route title. Williams went on to dominate the event, winning back-to-back titles in 2003 and 2004 and then again in 2006 and 2007. Her most recent trophy in the Miami Open came in 2015 when she defeated Carla Suarez Navarro in the finals.
Serena Williams made her last appearance in the Miami Open in 2019 and retired from tennis in 2022. Her dominant record in the Miami Open is but a glimpse of the impact she has had in the sport.