Beyonce is the most amazing person ever and I really liked her idea to perform where I grew up: Serena Williams
Serena Williams lavished praise on Beyonce in a recent interview, remarking that the singer is not only a great performer but also the "most amazing person." The 23-time Grand Slam champion chalked it up to the American's modesty, saying Beyonce doesn't understand just how inspirational of a figure she is to people around the globe.
Beyonce and Williams' camaraderie reached a crescendo during the filming of King Richard, a biopic based on the Williams sisters' father Richard Williams. The 40-year-old singer wrote and produced a song for the movie which was nominated for an Oscar.
The World’s greatest athlete, Serena Williams, talks to Ellen about Beyoncé’s stunning “Be Alive” performance at the Oscar’s https://t.co/0J17RSS9hc
Although Beyonce did not win the award, Serena Williams remarked that she was eternally grateful to her. Speaking on the latest episode of the Ellen DeGeneres show, the former World No. 1 recalled Beyonce's performance during the Oscar awards opening ceremony.
Beyoncé opens the 94th Academy Awards with a performance of the Oscar-nominated song "Be Alive". https://t.co/URFgkQXyG4
The singer recreated 'Be Alive' on the same courts in Compton where the Williams sisters practiced as kids, an idea that earned the 23-time Grand Slam champion's approval.
"Beyonce is a genius. I think she is, obviously, the most amazing person and performer ever and I really liked her idea behind it. Like to have the idea to come up and perform where we grew up," Serena Williams said. "Because I went back and I thought, "Can I even begin to fathom having such a superstar come back and do that at those courts.""
The American was touched by Beyonce's gesture and was at a loss for words trying to explain the feeling of having a superstar visit significant places from her childhood.
Serena Williams shares the significance of Beyoncé's 2022 Oscars performance, which took place at the Compton courts where Williams practiced as a child:
"She provided so much inspiration, probably without even knowing, to so many little kids in Compton." https://t.co/Rel7XrRKhU
The starstruck 23-time Grand Slam champion further noted that, more than the moment meaning a lot to her personally, it helped serve as a source of inspiration for other kids from the area.
"It would have just made me want to go to practice every single day even more so. She doesn't even understand [how many] people she has inspired and how she made us feel on a level I can't even begin to describe in words," Serena Williams said. "It goes even beyond that, because she provided so much inspiration to so many little kids in Compton. It was so great and such a wonderful performance."
"I think the film will live on for a really long time" - Serena Williams on the legacy of 'King Richard'
During the interview, Serena Williams also spoke about King Richard, remarking that it helped show the world the hard work and dedication her parents put into making her and her sister Venus Williams tennis champions.
The former World No. 1 proclaimed that it was "so cool" to see their story coming together on the big screen, and hoped that the movie would live on in the minds of the public for a long time.
"What I really like about the movie is that you know so much about us. Just as players and hoarding up trophies. But there is so much that goes into that everyday," Serena Williams said. "It's so much hardwork and dedication from both my mom and dad. It was so cool to see the process of how it all came together. It took a really long time but I was so proud. I think the film will live on for a really long time."