Serena Williams: Tributes paid to tennis’ retiring great

Among colleagues on the WTA Tour paying tribute were Ons Jabeur and Caroline Garcia, with the latter describing her as “such a legend”, while on the men’s side, 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal said Williams was an “amazing champion”.

Elsewhere from the world of sport, swimming great Michael Phelps praised Williams’ tenacity and drive.

“Her tennis accomplishments speak for themselves, but one of the things I admire about her is she simply doesn’t quit,” the 23-time Olympic champion said.

“On or off the court her will, her strength, her determination… she simply never gives up. She’s a great example to us all.”

Golfer Tiger Woods, who was in Williams’ player box for her second-round win over Anett Kontaveit, said: “You’re literally the greatest on and off the court. Thank you for inspiring all of us to pursue our dreams.”

NBA great Magic Johnson said: “Serena has meant so much to sports, the game of tennis, the world, every little girl, and even more to every little black girl across the globe.

“Serena proves that you can dream bigger than where you come from. From South Central Los Angeles, to the greatest the world has ever seen… what a story!”