What Bill Clinton told Serena Williams after winning her first Grand Slam at the US Open

This moment represented the start of a glorious career, one that saw Serena win 23 Grand Slam singles titles, 14 major doubles titles, and three Olympic gold medals.

Serena, who also won the 1999 US Open Women’s doubles event alongside Venus, received a call from the US president after winning the singles title.

Bill Clinton told Serena Williams he was rooting for her

After defeating Hingis, Serena received a call from then US President Bill Clinton, who remained in the position until 2001.

It is fair to say that Serena was most definitely excited to receive the call from the President.

She told reporters: “It was very exciting. I thought for sure my day couldn’t get any better. Next thing I knew, someone was telling me, “The President of the United States wants to talk.” I was thinking, “Wow.”

Serena was then asked to reflect upon what the call may mean for women’s tennis, as it had ‘never happened’ before.

Williams replied: “He [Clinton] said that they had watched my last three matches and they were really rooting for me, him and Chelsea also.

“I talked to her also, she’s really nice [laughter]. She said she’ll show me around Stanford when I go there for Fed Cup if I wanted to. Pretty exciting.”

A year later, Venus Williams won her first US Open title, defeating Lindsay Davenport in the final. She would go on to win the title again in 2001.

As for Serena, she won the title on five more occasions: in 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Serena Williams’ last match

At the 2022 US Open, Serena Williams played the last match of her professional tennis career.

Serena defeated second seed Anett Kontaveit on her way to the third round, before losing to Ajla Tomljanovic.

After the final, an emotional press conference took place.

Serena said: “Oh, my God. Thank you so much. You guys were amazing today. I tried. Ajla just played a little bit better.

“Thank you, Daddy. I know you’re watching. Thanks, Mom (tearing up). Oh, my God.

“Just I thank everyone that’s here, that’s been on my side so many years, decades. Oh, my gosh, literally decades.

“But it all started with my parents. And they deserve everything. So I’m really grateful for them.

“Oh, my God. These are happy tears, I guess. I don’t know.

“And I wouldn’t be Serena if there wasn’t Venus, so thank you, Venus. She’s the only reason that Serena Williams ever existed, so…

“I don’t know. Just everyone from Jill to Isha to my sister Lyn, to my husband, Olympia, to Jarmere. Everyone in that box there today. Alexis, Kristy, Derrick (phonetic).

“It’s been a fun ride. It’s been the most incredible ride and journey I’ve ever been on, I mean, in my life. I’m just so grateful to every single person that’s ever said, Go, Serena, in their life. I’m just so grateful. Yeah, I mean, you got me here.”

Serena will always be remembered as one of the greatest players to ever step foot on a tennis court. She not only achieved an incredible amount in her career, but inspired a generation of young tennis players to pick up a racket.

In fact, many would consider her to be the greatest player in the history of women’s tennis, despite having won fewer Grand Slam singles titles than Margaret Court.