"Winning Wimbledon and then dancing at the champions' dinner" - Novak Djokovic reveals his favorite memory with Serena Williams
Novak Djokovic paid tribute to Serena Williams in light of her retirement with some kind words for the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion. The Serbian player also revealed his favorite memory with Williams, which involves the two tennis greats sharing the dance stage together.
Djokovic and Williams won the men's and women's singles titles, respectively, at the 2015 Wimbledon Championships. As part of tradition, the two players danced together during the Champions Dinner, which is held every year after the conclusion of the tournament.
The Serbian player reflected on the day he won his third Wimbledon title and shared the stage with Williams, who won her seventh and final Wimbledon title that year.
"My probably favorite memory of us together is winning Wimbledon and then dancing at the champions' dinner," Djokovic said in a video shared by the ATP tour. "It was a blast, it was one of the best moments I had on the tour with you."
The 21-time Grand Slam singles champion hailed Serena Williams' contribution to the sport, which goes beyond her on-court achievements. Djokovic also admitted that that he was hoping Williams would never retire from the sport, before further stating that Williams has inspired not just tennis players but athletes across sports.
"Thank you so much for everything you have done for our beautiful sport," the Serbian player said. "Your contribution and your legacy on and off the court will live forever. I value and cherish our relationship that goes on for many years and I was hoping that this moment will never arrive when you announced your retirement, and here we are."
"You can be very very proud of what you have achieved and what you left behind. You have inspired so many different generations, not only tennis players but athletes around the world," Djokovic added.
He also expressed hope to see Williams back on tour in the future, ideally with her daughter Olympia.
"I hope that we get a chance to see each other soon. I know that you will still be connected to the tennis court as Olympia is coming up," Djokovic said.
#TwirlForSerena https://t.co/RCoCSeGB0y
Serena Williams makes a winning start to her US Open 2022 campaign
Meanwhile, Serena Williams kickstarted her final US Open campaign with a comfortable 6-3, 6-3 win over Danka Kovinic. In a spectacular ceremony at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Williams received a series of tributes, which also included a special tribute from Oprah Winfrey.
The American superstar received rousing applause on the iconic court after a backhand unforced error from Kovinic sealed the win for Williams. Billie Jean King also gave a heartfelt speech to Williams in light of her upcoming retirement.
“You are fearless. … Thank you for sharing your journey with every single one of us.”
@BillieJeanKing showered #SerenaWilliams with love after her first-round win ❤️ https://t.co/K7h47f2jLs
The 40-year-old will now face World No. 2 Anett Kontaveit in the second round on Wednesday. Serena Williams and Venus Williams have received a wildcard for the women's doubles event, and are scheduled to play their opening match on Wednesday against the pairing of Linda Noskova and Lucie Hradecka.
With her win on Monday, Williams now has a US Open victory in her teens, 20s, 30s, as well as her 40s.