They made me believe that superheroes are real, and they can look like me and my family" - Lewis Hamilton on Venus and Serena Williams

Serena Williams has seen a host of celebrities, across sports and beyond, speak of their love and appreciation for the American tennis legend ever since she announced her plans to retire from the sport last month. The latest to do so is Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, the Briton took to social media to express his "appreciation and gratitude" for Williams, calling her the greatest of all time.

"Taking a moment before the race today to show my appreciation and gratitude to the greatest of all time, Serena Williams. We will never see another Serena. She's one of a kind. She came through like a wrecking ball and has been so spectacular to witness. She has such fierceness, power, and strength in both body and mind. To be so bold, Black, brave and, above all, a kind and caring human being is beautiful," he said.

The 37-year-old recalled his initial memories of watching the 23-time Grand Slam champion and her older sister Venus Williams on TV, calling them superheroes and his friends.

"I remember watching her and Venus at their first games with my dad on TV. Seeing such talented women dominating a field where no one looked like them gave me hope. They made me believe that superheroes are real, and they can look [like] me and my family. I never dreamed in a million years I would meet these heroes and come to call them my friends. I knew that I wasn't alone because of you. I knew I could never give up because you didn't. I can't thank you two enough," he wrote.

He ended the post by thanking Serena Williams for her contributions and wishing her the best in her future endeavors.

"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. 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," he concluded.

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"Lewis Hamilton, obviously" - Serena Williams names Formula 1 champion as one of her GOATs

Lewis Hamilton watches the 2018 Wimbledon final between Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber.

Serena Williams, who has been the center of Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) conversations throughout her career, named her GOATs in a recent video for TIME magazine.

The 40-year-old listed a host of stars from various sports when asked to list her GOATs, with Lewis Hamilton the first "obvious" name.

"Oh my gosh. Umm I mean I think Lewis Hamilton, obviously. For me, he is like, not only the greatest but also he does so much. And he's an amazing guy," Williams said.

"I mean [naming just] one or two. That's so not fair because I can't limit that. I think LeBron [James] is amazing. I think Tiger [Woods] is amazing. Can't start this conversation without naming in the original, Michael Jordan. So, I just think that those are, like, legendary names that will live on," she added.