US Open: Serena thanks Tiger Woods, other stars for inspiring her to the next round

Tennis icon Serena Williams hailed the influence of Tiger Woods after the golfing great persuaded her to return to the court and then cheered her on to victory over second seed Anett Kontaveit at the US Open.

This was a sparkling performance from the diamond-clad veteran, who produced her best tennis since reaching the Australian Open semi-finals last January to win 7-6 (4) 2-6 6-2 and reach the third round.

The dream ending–a record-equalling 24th grand slam singles title in her last tournament – is still a long way away, but this display showed that it might just be a possibility.

Williams revealed in the Vogue essay announcing her "evolution" away from tennis that Woods had given her advice on whether to have one final crack.

Last night, she said of the golfing great, who was there to support her: "He's one of the reasons I’m here, one of the main reasons I’m still playing. We talked a lot. He was really trying to get me motivated.

"There’s a few people, but we were like, 'OK, we can do this together’. It was good, because I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I was just lost, so many questions. When you can rely on someone like that – I mean, my goodness, he’s Tiger Woods – it was really helpful to get clarity."

Coming back to the sport is certainly looking a wise move now, and Williams, who next faces Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic, clearly believes she has more to offer.

"It’s no rush here," she said. "I’m loving this crowd. There’s still a little left in me. We’ll see. I’m a pretty good player, this is what I do best. I love a challenge and I’m rising to the challenge.

"I haven’t played many matches, but I’ve been practising really well. The last couple of matches it’s come together. After I lost the second set I thought, ‘I’ve got to give my best effort because this could be it’.

"I’m just looking at it as a bonus. I don’t have anything to lose. I’ve had an X on my back since 1999. I really enjoy just coming out and enjoying it."

There was not quite the same electricity as there had been on Monday night and a few more empty seats as once again the tournament played a montage declaring Williams the greatest of all time before she walked out on court.

Like Danka Kovinic before her, Kontaveit was left to busy herself on court, the second seed but very much the supporting act on tennis’ biggest stage.

Support from the stands was, of course, virtually entirely for Williams. The crowd may have come more in hope than expectation but it quickly became clear the 40-year-old was here to play.

Meanwhile, luminaries across the sports world took to social media to pay tribute to Williams after her victory.

Anna Wintour, Spike Lee, Bill Clinton and more were among the famous spectators to watch her first round match against Danka Kovinic. Williams' family, including her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, and her daughter Olympia were also on hand to watch her play. Olympia wore a sparkling outfit that was reminiscent of her mother's on-court attire, and her hair was done up in beads that called back to Serena's look at the beginning of her career.

Others are Mike Tyson, Martina Navratilova, Gayle King, Eric Adams and Anthony Anderson.