Novak Djokovic had the best seat in the house to witness history being made, as he waved the checkered flag when F1 icon Lewis Hamilton crossed the finish line at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix to secure his first win as a Ferrari driver. Djokovic later expressed his admiration for Hamilton’s achievement, with Serena Williams and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, joining in the celebrations.
How Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams Celebrated Lewis Hamilton’s Victory
When Hamilton last stood on the top step of the podium at the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix, he was still driving for Mercedes before his high-profile switch to Ferrari in 2025. After going winless for 40 Grands Prix, the Brit finally ended his drought at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, finishing ahead of former teammate George Russell and defending world champion Lando Norris.
Hamilton celebrated his long-awaited victory with an empowering message.
“REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE,” Hamilton captioned his Instagram post.
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While many of his fellow ATP stars have been busy competing during the grass-court season, Djokovic opted to enjoy a brief break before Wimbledon. The Serb attended the Grand Prix in person, where he was given the honor of waving the checkered flag when Hamilton crossed the finish line in Barcelona.
Djokovic paid tribute to the seven-time world champion’s “greatness” in a heartfelt reaction after the race.
“Greatness 👏🙌👏,” the Serb posted on his Instagram story.
Serena Williams, who is close friends with Hamilton, also shared an uplifting message in support of the F1 icon.
“Never forget. I love you bro,” she posted.
Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, also expressed his delight at Hamilton’s remarkable victory.
“LFG!!!!” Ohanian commented.
Williams took a break from her preparations for the Berlin Tennis Open to celebrate Hamilton’s victory. Although she initially retired at the 2022 US Open, the 23-time Grand Slam champion recently made her return to professional tennis at the Queen’s Club Championships, opting to compete in doubles.
Partnering with Victoria Mboko, she secured a 7-6(2), 6-2 win over No. 3 seeds Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez in their opening match.
Following the win, Williams shared a heartwarming embrace with her daughters, Olympia and Adira, as well as her husband, who were cheering her on from the stands. The moment had added significance, since the former world No. 1 previously revealed that her motivation for the comeback was to give her children the chance to see her compete.
In an unfortunate twist, the duo was forced to abandon their campaign at the WTA 500 event after Mboko sustained a knee injury in her singles match. Williams has now teamed up with Karolina Muchova at the Berlin Tennis Open, and the pair will face Erin Routliffe and Giuliana Olmos in the first round.
MORE: Did Wimbledon Prematurely Drop Serena Williams Hint? All About the Unexpected Move
While Serena Williams has yet to officially confirm whether she will be in action at the Wimbledon Championships, a premature clue from the tournament has fueled speculation that she could be set for a return to SW19. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic is expected to head straight to Wimbledon without any warm-up tournaments beforehand, aiming to capture his eighth title at SW19.
