Former tennis superstar Serena Williams has taken to Instagram to reveal quite how far back her friendship with seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton goes.
Tennis legend Serena Williams has opened up about her close friendship with Formula 1 icon Lewis Hamilton, revealing that the two champions have supported each other since the early days of their careers.
Hamilton, widely regarded as the most successful driver in Formula 1 history, shares a unique connection with Williams, who retired from tennis in 2022 after winning 23 Grand Slam titles the third-highest total in the sport’s history behind Novak Djokovic and Margaret Court.
Williams also spent 319 weeks as the world No. 1 and finished five seasons ranked at the top of women’s tennis. During her career, she and sister Venus Williams produced some of the sport’s most memorable rivalries, including their classic showdown in the 2008 Wimbledon final.
That same year, Hamilton captured his first Formula 1 world championship — and according to Williams, it marked the beginning of their friendship.
Speaking after attending the Miami Grand Prix, Williams shared on Instagram that she had always wanted to meet Hamilton because of the similarities in their journeys.
“I remember wanting to meet Lewis Hamilton because he was this incredible Black driver winning in England while Venus or I were winning at Wimbledon,” she said. “I felt like we had to meet.”
Williams added that once they connected, the pair often celebrated each other’s victories together.
“Whenever we both won — which happened a lot — we celebrated together. More than a decade later, we’re still very close. That’s my bro,” she said.
Hamilton, now racing for Ferrari, remains tied with Michael Schumacher for the most Formula 1 world titles with seven championships. He also leads the sport’s all-time rankings for race wins, pole positions, and podium finishes.
Beyond racing, Hamilton has become a major voice for diversity and social impact. In 2021, he launched Mission 44, a foundation dedicated to helping underrepresented young people in the UK access education and opportunities in STEM careers.
His advocacy for greater diversity in motorsport and education has extended into politics as well, including discussions with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer about improving opportunities for young people.