A former president, A-list actors {and professional} athletes had been among the many followers who packed into Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday to look at Serena Williams within the first spherical of the U.S. Open.
The friends in Williams’s participant’s field included Alexis Ohanian, her husband; Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., her daughter, who turns 5 on Thursday; Oracene Worth, her mom; Jill Smoller, her agent; and Anna Wintour, the editor of Vogue journal, in whose pages Williams introduced her impending retirement.
Olympia’s coiffure paid tribute to the white beads that Williams wore in her hair when she gained the U.S. Open for the primary time in 1999, and her outfit almost matched the one her mom was carrying on the courtroom on Monday night time.
Others noticed within the crowd included former President Invoice Clinton, who appeared engaged in a protracted dialog with the psychosexual therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer, who’s 94. Martina Navratilova, the previous tennis star, introduced her canine Lulu.
Mike Tyson, Katie Couric, Matt Damon, Anthony Anderson, Hugh Jackman, Spike Lee and Vera Wang had been additionally taking within the match, as had been Gayle King, the CBS Information anchor, and the ski racer Lindsey Vonn. Queen Latifah, who was within the stands, narrated a spotlight video of Williams that was performed within the stadium. And on an off day for the Mets forward of a house sequence towards the Dodgers, the star shortstop Francisco Lindor took within the motion.
Additionally within the stands was Coco Gauff, who gained in straight units in her first-round match in Ashe on Monday afternoon.
“I really like you,” Gauff mentioned on Twitter, tagging Williams.
After her personal match, Gauff informed reporters that she hoped Williams wins on Monday.
“I’m positive it’s going to be an emotional night time for everybody,” Gauff mentioned. “I hope that tonight is how she desires to finish or evolve away from tennis.”
Mayor Eric Adams of New York was additionally in attendance. “She impressed so many younger individuals to see that there’s no limitation,” Adams mentioned of Williams earlier than the match. He added, “She has accomplished a lot to this technology of introducing tennis into their lives.”
