Serena Williams sends heartfelt message to Lewis Hamilton after his first taste of victory with Ferrari at F1 Chinese GP Sprint

Tennis legend Serena Williams sent a wholesome message to Formula One icon Lewis Hamilton after the Brit won the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix. This was Hamilton’s first win since he ended his 12-year association with Mercedes and joined Ferrari.

Williams and Hamilton have been the thickest of friends for a long time and have been fans of each other’s crafts. Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, is married to Alexis Ohanian, who is the co-founder of Reddit.

Ohanian is also a massive fan of the seven-time F1 champion and had recently reshared Hamilton's post celebrating his first F1 pole with Ferrari. Following his sprint win at the Chinese Grand Prix, it was Serena Williams’ turn to celebrate Hamilton as she took to Instagram to comment on his post.

Williams wrote:

“Love you see what happens when they let you be great! Let's go! No more holding you back!”

Screengrab of Serena Williams' comment on Lewis Hamilton's post. Source: Instagram @lewishamilton

The one major factor that Williams and Hamilton have in common is their fight to bring diversity into their sports. Williams has been an inspiration to the Black community and has worked tirelessly for their upliftment, while Hamilton has played a similar role in the motorsport world. In 2007, he became the first black driver ever to compete in Formula One.

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When Lewis Hamilton spoke about the values he's learned from Serena Williams

Williams and Hamilton at the 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp. Source: Getty

Lewis Hamilton had written a wholesome post for Serena Williams when the tennis legend announced her retirement in 2022. Hamilton had called Williams a "bundle of fun" and said the tennis world "would never see another Serena."

Hamilton also spoke about the values he had learnt from Williams and said:

"Still today you remind me to never give up, you remind me what we stand for and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. You make me want to be better in all ways. A better competitor, a better brother, a better friend, and a better leader."

He added,

"You inspire me every day and just know you always have a brother in me. Serena, I’m wishing you all the happiness in what’s next for you. You truly deserve it."

Since her retirement, Williams has focussed on business ventures and spending time with her children Olympia and Adira.