A record crowd of 70,000 came out to celebrate Serena Williams at the US Open in what is set to be her very last tournament as she “evolves” away from tennis. Dressed in a sparkling black ensemble, matched by her adorable daughter Olympia, spotted alongside her father Alexis Ohanian, in the stands, the tennis goat rewarded the crowd with a spectacular first round win. Several celebs, including Mike Tyson, Gladys Knight, Spike Lee, Anthony Anderson, Wendell Pierce, Queen Latifah and NYC Mayor Eric Adams, were on hand to witness her victory. Serena’s mother and sister Oracene and Isha Price were also there, cheering her on.
Tony winner and forever Disney Princess Tiana Anika Noni Rose kicked off the match with a rendition of the National Anthem. On top of that, Spike Lee, who rocked a Jackie jersey equating Serena’s impact with that of Jackie Robinson’s trailblazing desegregation of Major League Baseball, gave a special presentation pre-match. Prior to Serena’s win, her potential heir Coco Gauff, who watched the match with the record crowd, and Felix Auger-Aliassime, a Canadian with roots in Togo, also won.
After her victory, Gayle King spoke court-side with the goat who shared these words of wisdom: “It's so important to give your all no matter what you do, how many obstacles you face,” she said. “I've been down so much so many times, in the public eye, and I've had to come back….'It sounds cliched, but no matter what you're going through, I just want people to be inspired by my story. I'm from Compton, California, and I made it.”
