Serena Williams continues to win at the US Open, and Tiger Woods is with her every step of the way. During Williams’ second-round match against world No. 2 Anett Kontaveit at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday, Woods was spotted in Williams’ player box with his girlfriend Erica Herman and tennis legend and Williams’ sister Venus Williams. The golf legend was seen cheering big for Serena Williams, who went on to defeat Kontaveit to advance to the third round.
After the match, Woods accompanied Willams into the locker room. And on Twitter, Woods wrote: “It was a privilege to watch greatness. Congrats [Serena Williams].” Woods was one of the many notable figures who were in attendance to support Williams, who will retire once her run at the US Open ends. But during her press conference, Williams revealed that Woods has played a key factor in her longevity.
Videos by PopCulture.com
“He’s one of the reasons I’m here, one of the main reasons I’m still playing,” she said, per Yahoo Sports. “We talked a lot. He was really trying to get me motivated. There are a few people, but we were like, ‘OK, we can do this together, you know?’” Williams wrote a first-person essay for Vogue to reveal that she is planning to “evolve” away from tennis. In the essay, Williams said she went to Woods for advice.
“I was talking to Tiger Woods, who’s a friend,” she wrote, “and I told him I needed his advice on my tennis career. I said, ‘I don’t know what to do: I think I’m over it, but maybe I’m not over it.’ He’s Tiger, and he was adamant that I be a beast the same way he is! He said, ‘Serena, what if you just gave it two weeks? You don’t have to commit to anything. You just go out on the court every day for two weeks and give it your all and see what happens.’”
Woods and Williams are considered the GOATS of their respective sport. Woods has won 15 major golf championships, the second most all-time behind Jack Nicklaus who has 18. Woods has also won 82 PGA Tour events, tied for first all-time with Sam Snead. Williams has won 23 grand slam tennis singles championships, the most by any player in the Open Era. She has also won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with Venus.
