Great athletes are often associated with others who have also consistently achieved success in their respective sports. Staying at the top is no easy feat-it requires enormous physical and mental sacrifice. That’s why being one of the most decorated athletes can sometimes bring envy and resentment, but more often, it earns the recognition and respect of peers.
Young athletes tend to pay tribute to established stars-those who have accomplished major feats and become benchmarks in their disciplines. Their achievements and dedication have turned them into role models across the entire sporting world.
And in that spirit, the multi-time Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles recently paid tribute to the incredibly talented, multi-title-winning tennis legend Serena Williams.
The emotional moment when Simone Biles referenced Serena Williams
During the ESPY Awards ceremony, where Simone Biles received two honors,Best Championship Performance and Best Athlete in Women’s Sports, for her outstanding showing at the Paris Olympic Games, she took a lighthearted moment to acknowledge Serena. In an interview with Cosmopolitan, Biles was asked some fun questions about her outfit for the evening. But when posed with, “If I were to challenge anyone to a handstand contest?” she paused, mimicked preparing for a move by rotating her neck and hands, and then playfully answered: “Serena, get ready.”
This was a nod to a now-famous celebration Serena Williams performed over a decade ago, a moment that has since become a signature memory for fans of both sports.
The celebration Simone Biles recreated from Serena Williams
To revisit that iconic moment, we have to go back to 2014, when Serena Williams won her third consecutive WTA Finals title. She chose to celebrate uniquely, delighting her fans by doing a handstand in the locker room-an image she later shared on Instagram.
At the time, Serena was 33 years old and had just defeated Simona Halep with a dominant 6-3, 6-0 score. That victory marked her third straight WTA title and her fifth overall, cementing her legacy in the sport.
In homage to that celebration, Biles, now a multiple-time ESPY winner herself, took the opportunity to recreate that gesture. It was also a fitting tribute considering that in 2024, Biles had hosted the ESPYs with charm and grace, receiving praise for her poise on stage.
The championship and celebration that Biles honored
Serena’s 2014 title was particularly significant-it marked a major career milestone. With that win, she joined Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova as the only women to win five WTA Finals titles. It was even more remarkable considering she had lost to Halep in the group stage but came back fiercely in the final, determined to reclaim her dominance.
The parallel between Biles and Williams is clear: both are resilient athletes who continue pushing forward, no matter the obstacles. After withdrawing from competition in Tokyo, Biles made a triumphant return in Paris, once again asserting her status at the top of Olympic gymnastics.
In her own words, Biles reflected:
Being nominated for this year’s ESPY feels different than prior because I feel like I get to live in the moment a little bit more and not worry about when the next competition is.
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