On Monday night, the sold-out crowd here of nearly 24,000 — which included a laundry list of A-list celebrities and notables, including former President Bill Clinton, Spike Lee, Lindsey Vonn, Bella Hadid, Rebel Wilson, Vera Wang, Mike Tyson, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Gladys Knight and many more were waiting with sparking eyes before Williams even took the court. After a video narration, Queen Latifah was shown summarizing her legendary career, Williams was introduced to the crowd as the “Greatest Of All Time” to loud cheers that continued during any break in the action throughout the match.
The 23-time major champion won her first-round match 6-3, 6-3 over Danka Kovinic at the US Open on Monday night. It was Williams’ 102nd win at Arthur Ashe Stadium — the most by any player since it opened in 1997 — and extended her record for Grand Slam victories by a woman to 366.
