Serena Williams pays heartfelt tribute to Andy Murray amidst his retirement

In a heartfelt gesture, tennis legend Serena Williams took to X to pay tribute to her fellow tennis icon, Andy Murray, amidst his retirement from professional tennis.

“Andy, you’ve always been more than just a colleague on the court,” Williams began the video, which she posted on July 5. “You’ve been a friend, a competitor, and a true ambassador for the sport of tennis.”

One of the highlights of Williams’ tribute was her recollection of playing mixed doubles with Murray at Wimbledon in 2019.

“I have to say, I always enjoyed watching you. One of the main reasons … because you’re one of the few players who would be more angry than me on the court, which is a very hard thing to do,” Williams said, before laughing. “And it may have been a little — an attitude just like mine, let’s just say.”

“But to me, it was the most exciting thing to watch. And I had the pleasure of playing mixed doubles next to you, by your side, which was such a fantastic experience to do that at Wimbledon nonetheless,” she added. “And it was really one of the highlights of my life. So I’m just so grateful that I had that experience.”

Murray’s retirement marks the end of an era in professional tennis, but his impact is longstanding.

“Andy, this is not a goodbye, but a see you later. The impact you’ve made on tennis and the world will never be forgotten,” Williams ended the video.

Williams announced her retirement from professional tennis, after playing for more than 20 years, in an essay for Vogue in August 2022.