After winning the first Grand Slam title of her career Serena Williams received a special message.
The American produced one of the most iconic and influential careers not just in tennis but all of sport.
For nearly three decades the 43-year-old produced greatness on the court and broke various records on the way to becoming an all-time great,
At the start of her journey to become a sporting legend Serena Williams received a special phone call after her first triumph at Flushing Meadows 25 years ago.
Photo by Ralph Alswang/White House/Consolidated News Pictures/Getty Images
What did President Clinton say to Serena Williams after winning the 1999 US Open?
Williams won the first of her 23 Grand Slam titles at the 1999 US Open, when she was just 17 years of age.
She defeated Grand Slam champions Kim Clijsters, Conchita Martínez, Monica Seles, and Lindsay Davenport, before beating top seed Martina Hingis 6-3, 7-6(4) in the final.
By winning the doubles tournament with Venus Williams, Serena became just the fifth woman in the Open Era to win both singles and doubles at the same Grand Slam.
Following her achievement, Williams recalled when she received a special phone call from none other than the President at the time, Bill Clinton.
“It was very exciting,” she said. “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.’
“He 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).
President Clinton has attended the US Open and watched Williams in action both in 2013 when she won the title, and in 2022, the final event of her illustrious career. In the past he praised the athlete, her game and what she means to the younger generation.
“She always wanted to be someone who opened up new avenues for girls and women and she was able to play highly competitive, high concentration tennis, win but always be concerned about why she was really doing it,” Clinton told BBC Radio Five Live back in 2013.
11 Sep 1999: American tennis player Serena Williams kisses her trophy after winning a match (against Martina Hingis of Switzerland) during the US O…
How many times did Serena Williams win the US Open?
Throughout her illustrious career, Williams won the US Open, her home Grand Slam, on six occasions.
Following her first trophy in 1999, Williams emerged victorious again in 2002, defeating her sister Venus in the final.
Her next US Open win did not come until 2008, before another four years and Serena claimed her fourth title in New York, winning a thrilling final against Victoria Azarenka.
Williams went on to claim three titles in a row as she clinched the 2013 and 2014 championships, once again defeating Azarenka before dispatching Caroline Wozniacki.
The American came close on other occasions to winning the title, first by reaching the semi-finals in 2015 and 2020, before finishing runner-up in 2018 and 2019 to Naomi Osaka and Bianca Andreescu respectively.
