“He's one of the reasons I'm here” – Serena Williams lauds Tiger Woods during US Open press conference

Serena Williams had a host of celebrities cheering for her as she beat Estonian Anett Kontaveit on Wednesday (August 1). Williams won the second round of the US Open 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-2. Among the big names present in her box at the Arthur Ashe Stadium was Tiger Woods.

The golfer is probably the only person who can beat Serena Williams in popularity. However, it is pertinent to note that there is no competition between the two. Williams and Woods are good friends and the tennis star even mentioned the same in her post-match press conference.

Woods was among the loudest fans in the stadium during Williams’ match. He could be seen jumping out of his seat every time Williams scored a point. The tennis icon noticed the same and said that she was happy to see him there.

In a rare, ‘legends recognizing legends’ moment, Williams spoke about Woods’ role in her career and said that he motivated her during tough times. According to Williams, she wouldn’t be at the stadium if it wasn’t for the legendary golfer.

Serena Williams was talking about her 'evolution' away from the sport in the post-match press conference when she was asked about Tiger Woods. Williams was questioned about her Vogue article, in which she spoke about the golfer’s advice to her.

Replying to queries on what it meant to have him in her box for the US Open match, Williams termed him one of the reasons she’s still playing and said:

“Yeah, he's one of the reasons I'm here, one of the main reasons I'm still playing. So, we talked a lot. He was really trying to get me motivated. There's a few people, but we were like, ‘Okay, we can do this together,’ you know?"

"It was good because I didn't know what I wanted to do. I was just lost, so many questions. When you can rely on someone like that, I mean, my goodness, he's Tiger Woods, it was really helpful to get clarity.”

Serena Williams put in a decent performance against World No. 2 Anett Kontaveit. Playing with clarity towards the end, Williams entered the third round of a major for the first time since 2021 Roland Garros. Woods was fully involved in the match and had a big smile on his face every time the camera panned to Serena Williams’ box.

Who sat with Tiger Woods at the match?

Tiger Woods arrived at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York with his partner Erica Herman. He was welcomed into Serena Williams' corner by Williams’ sister Venus. The golfer enjoyed the match alongside Venus, Grand Slam doubles champion Rennae Stubbs, and Serena’s mother Oracene Price.

Woods enjoyed Williams’ play to the end. The golfer even took to his social media to share his excitement and wrote:

“It was a privilege to watch greatness. Congrats @serenawilliams."

Tiger Woods wasn’t the only famous face at the stadium. Like the opening match, several celebrities lined up to watch the 40-year-old tennis icon in action. Actors Anthony Anderson, Zendaya, director and US Open regular Spike Lee were in the crowd to watch Williams play one of her final matches.

Williams will face Australian Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round on Saturday (September 3). It will be interesting to see if Tiger Woods will be present to watch his friend in live action.