Tennis phenom Serena Williams made history as she won her 23rd grand-slam title on Saturday night against her sister Venus Williams in in a 6-4, 6-4 victory at the Australian Open.
And not only did Serena return to the world No. 1 ranking, but she capped off the sweet night by changing into classic “23” Jordans. And then got another pair sent by Michael Jordan himself.
Serena was presented with a box on ESPN after her win, and it contained her kicks and a note from M.J. It read in part, “Winning is hard ... congratulations with much respect on winning number 23. Your friend, Michael Jordan.” Serena seemed in awe of the box and noted that the shoes were in her favorite colors.
The Compton, Calif., princess bested her sister Venus in her victory. The siblings—only 15 months apart in age—shared a long hug on court after the 1-hour, 22-minute match and shut down all notions of any sibling rivalry.
“There’s no way I’d be at 23 [titles] without her; there’s no way I’d be at one without her. She’s my inspiration. Thank you, Venus, for inspiring me to be the best player I could be,” said Serena. She also thanked her other sisters and parents.
At 35, Serena is the oldest women’s champion at a major in the Open era—she also held that record when she won the 2016 Wimbledon title at 34 years and 287 days old, reports USA Today.
Congrats to Serena! In the words of the Blastmaster, she’s “still No. 1.”