Andy Murray lavished praise on Lionel Messi after his heroics at the 2022 World Cup final, calling him the “best athlete of all time.” Tennis fans, however, did not share the same opinion as the three-time Grand Slam champion, with many claiming that that honor should indeed belong to the indomitable Serena Williams.
After scoring two goals and burying his own penalty in the shoot-out on Sunday, Messi won his first ever World Cup title, a title that many think seals his place as the footballing GOAT. Murray was among those who shared the opinion, with the Brit posting on social media:
“Is Messi the best athlete of all time? Forget just football. What a man,” Murray tweeted.
Twitter users, however, were not convinced that he was, especially when Williams had managed to win a Grand Slam – at the 2017 Australian Open – while being pregnant. One fan wrote on the same:
“Serena Williams won an Open while pregnant and played like a boss after giving birth by c-section then almost dying of embolism so… Love Messi, but no.”
Another user remarked that the 23-time Grand Slam champion’s overall record in tennis, which boasts two mixed doubles Slam titles, 14 women’s doubles titles and Olympic gold in both singles and doubles, should make her being the GOAT a no-brainer.
“Mmmm does Serena Williams ring a bell to you? I get that people tend to erase females, particularly black females, but come on! Olympic Games, Slams in singles, doubles and mixed doubles, etc. She’s the real GOAT.”
Here are a few more reactions from fans:
twitter.com/andy_murray/st…
playing tennis and saying this is hilarious because playing in Serena Williams face like this was a choice? twitter.com/andy_murray/st…
“The celebrations of her career should be really, really high” – Andy Murray on Serena Williams’ farewell
After Serena Williams made it public that she would be hanging up her racquet at this year’s US Open, Andy Murray was among the first tennis players to pay tribute to the American, saying that her farewell should only be about celebrating her career.
The former World No. 1 made it clear that fans should have no expectations of the 23-time Grand Slam champion and that they should simply enjoy seeing her in action for one last time.
“She has hardly played in the last few years,” said Murray. “Expectations on her run should be very low. The celebrations of her career should be really, really high,” Andy Murray said. “When I first found out, I was sad about it, but at the same time, she will probably want this week to be about everything she has achieved, having a really nice send-off – more of a celebration than being really upset that it is the end.”
True to character, Williams still managed to wow her fans in her last hurray, beating Danka Kovinic and then World No. 2 Anett Kontaveit in the first two rounds before falling to Ajla Tomljanovic in a tense three-setter.
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