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Track and field star Allyson Felix has recently shared her heartfelt thoughts on tennis legend Serena Williams after penning her tribute note for TIME Magazine. Through her note, the eleven-time Olympic medalist applauded the tennis icon, who was named in TIME Magazine's list of 100 most influential people of 2025.
Felix was featured in Time magazine's list in 2020 and 2021. She shared a heartfelt message for the women's tennis legend through her Instagram story, highlighting the honour and respect she felt after paying tribute to her in the 2025 TIME Magazine's list of 100 most influential people. She expressed:
“Congratulations @serenawilliams ♥️ Forever Leading. Forever Inspiring! It was an honor to pay tribute to you for TIME100”
The 20-time World Championships medalist, Felix, celebrated 23-time Grand Slam champion, Serena Williams' powerful story of resilience and inspiration during her motherhood journey while reflecting on her own experience of going through a challenging period of becoming a mother. Felix shared her note as per TIME's official site, stating:
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“Serena Williams won the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant, then returned to tennis after a difficult childbirth experience that threatened her life. Her perseverance inspired my own comeback story. After an unexpectedly difficult pregnancy that required an emergency C-section and a lengthy recovery, I returned to the track to win two medals—a gold and a bronze—at the Tokyo Olympics.”
Through her TIME100 tribute note, Allyson Felix further highlighted how Serena Williams is still an influential figure, as she has successfully ventured into business, inspiring multi-faceted talents of athletes. Williams retired from tennis in September 2022 with four Olympic gold medals and 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, among other accolades.
Allyson Felix reflects on the changed perspective of her legacy in track and field
Apart from her track accolades, Allyson Felix is also well-known for her advocacy of maternal rights for women athletes and was a notable member of a group of athletes who prompted Nike to modify its maternity policy in 2019.
The athlete-turned-entrepreneur is the founder of Saysh, a footwear brand and co-founder of Always Alpha, a service management firm for women's sports. During her interview with Elle in July 2024, the track superstar reflected on her legacy, stating:
“I realized that I wanted my legacy to be defined by something more. Now it’s really focused around advocacy and women’s rights and maternal health. But it took a while to get there.”
She has received USA Track & Field's highest accolade, the Jesse Owens/Jackie Joyner-Kersee Award, five times.
