Former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino was left in awe after meeting Serena Williams, whom he has "long admired." The former praised Williams' personality and revealed that the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion has a huge interest in space.
The star player has been attending numerous events and conferences of late, mainly representing her venture capital firm Serena Ventures, after bidding farewell to tennis at the US Open in September. She recently attended a Bank of America event, where she ran into Massimino.
The best-selling author of 'Spaceman' took to Twitter to express his sheer delight at interacting with Serena Williams, stating that meeting her "did not disappoint." Massimino then added that the sportswoman showed great interest when they spoke about space.
"Yesterday I had the pleasure to meet someone who I have long admired, Serena Williams, at a @BankofAmerica event. Meeting her did not disappoint, she is an amazing person with a wonderful personality, and a huge interest in space. I had a blast speaking with her!" Mike Massimino wrote on Twitter.
Williams recently joined fellow tennis player Rafael Nadal as a nominee for the People's Choice Awards' Game Changer of 2022. Williams returned to tennis at the 2022 Wimbledon championships after a year-long gap, before eventually announcing her decision to step away from the sport after the US Open.
The 41-year-old has been subtly hinting at a comeback to tennis and has clearly stated that she is "not retired," mainly because she does not want to call herself 'retired.'
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Yesterday I had the pleasure to meet someone who I have long admired, @serenawilliams, at a @BankofAmerica event. Meeting her did not disappoint, she is an amazing person with a wonderful personality, and a huge interest in space. I had a blast speaking with her! @WSB_Speakers