LeBron James, Simone Biles: Serena Williams receives tributes from sport stars

LeBron James and Simone Biles have led the tributes to Serena Williams, who will now step away from tennis following a third-round defeat at the US Open.

Williams was defeated 7-5 6-7 6-1 by Ajla Tomljanović, who moves on to play Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova in the fourth round.

The match is expected to be Williams’s last, with the 23-time Grand Slam winner announcing last month that she would be “evolving away from tennis”.

The 40-year-old was emotional as she spoke to the crowd at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I thank everyone that’s here, that’s been on my side so many years, decades,” Williams said. “Oh my gosh, literally decades”.

“But it all started with my parents. And they deserve everything. So I’m really grateful for them.

“And I wouldn’t be Serena if there wasn’t [sister] Venus, so thank you, Venus. She’s the only reason that Serena Williams ever existed.”

The tributes began pouring in after Williams’s defeat, with four-time Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles taking to Twitter to show gratitude.

What a ride it’s been.Thank you, @serenawilliams