Lewis Hamilton recently spoke about his admiration for Serena Williams with a heartfelt message on Instagram following the American’s loss at the US Open. Williams lost in the finals to Japanese youngster Naomi Osaka in what would have been her 24th Grand Slam Title.

Though a lot of controversy surrounded the manner in which the match panned out with Williams getting a game penalty as a result of a verbal outburst, Hamilton was full support for the multiple grand slam champ. “Forever a champion,” he wrote on Instagram.

“This day was sent for a reason, so that you could fulfil your purpose. What you stand for is far greater than any game won, you’re an inspiration for the world and I’m inspired by you. Congrats to Naomi Osaka, it’s so great to see the mix of cultures and to see people breaking down barriers.”

He wrote, “This woman is one of the greatest Athletes of all time. I’m so proud of you @serenawilliams and inspired by your greatness, your humility and your fight against all odds. God Bless you guys.”

Serena Williams was embroiled in a big controversy at the US Open final on Saturday. Although Osaka won, a lot of the attention was focused on her and the chair umpire Carlos Ramos. She was warned for receiving on-court coaching from Patrick Mouratoglou. After she broke her racket from losing a point, Ramos docked a point from her.

That was when she turned on him in a fit of rage. She accused him of being a ‘thief’ and robbing points off her. Since then, the sporting community has been divided on the issue. Some, like Roger Federer and most of the WTA have supported her. But others, like Martina Navratilova have expressed their displeasure on the entire incident.