Serena Williams’ legacy was cemented a long time ago. But a 2017 Australian Open championship helped extend it.
Serena Williams’ Australian Open victory speech about Venus is heartwarming
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
She’s given a lot of victory speeches over the years, but in Melbourne on Saturday, it was a little different. Her age and the fact she beat her sister Venus gave way to one of the most memorable sports speeches of all time:
“I really would like to take this moment to congratulate Venus. She’s an amazing person. There’s no way I would be at 23 (titles) without her. There’s no way I’d be at one without her. There’s no way I’d have anything without her. She’s my inspiration — she’s the only reason I’m standing here today and the only reason the Williams sisters exist. So thank you Venus for inspiring me to be the best player that I could be and inspiring me to work hard. Every time you won this week, I felt like “I’ve got to win too,” so thank you so much. Thank you. She deserves an incredible round of applause. She’s made an amazing comeback. I definitely, definitely think she’ll be standing here next year, and I don’t like the word “comeback.” She’s never left. She’s been such a great champion — so thank you, Venus.”
Over half of Serena’s victory speech was dedicated to her sister. Much like throughout her career, Venus was a driving force behind her words, while a warm Australian Open crowd hung on every word of its champion and applauded at every opportunity. Behind Serena was Venus, just like always, getting choked up hearing her sister sing her praises.
This was yet another amazing moment this pair has given us over the years. We’re not worthy.
