Fans of Serena Williams have hit back on social media after conversations about the "greatest athlete of all time" (GOAT) were reignited following Tom Brady’s seventh Super Bowl win over the weekend.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 on their home field in Super Bowl 55 on Sunday, with Brady winning his seventh Super Bowl ring.
The unprecedented win led to a heated debate on Twitter as to whether Brady should be considered “the GOAT of all GOATS” above any other athlete.
The question quickly prompted frustration among sports fans with many quick to argue that Serena Williams’ 23 Grand Slam titles had been overlooked in consideration for the title.
Some argued that Williams had been pushed aside during the conversation due to inequalities surrounding race and gender.
Others suggested top Olympic athletes such as Simone Biles and Michael Phelps should also have been in the mix for consideration of the number one spot.
The Athletic also posed a similar question ahead of the Super Bowl on Sunday prompting a similar reaction, adding: “It's a simple question but a difficult answer.”
Brady’s seventh Super Bowl ring came in his 10th appearance in the NFL's biggest game as he entered his 21st season in the NFL at the age of 43.
Williams, 39, has amassed 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most by any player in the Open Era, with 73 Women's Tennis Association singles titles altogether.
On Sunday, after Williams cruised through the first round of the Australian Open, she rushed off the court to watch Brady win his seventh Super Bowl having sung his praises in her post-match interview.
"He is amazing. To be competing at such a high level, for us one of the biggest championships in the world, at 43 is unheard of," she said.
She joked: "It's super inspiring for me at my ripe young age of 30-something."
