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LONDON Former Wimbledon champion Serena Williams has paid tribute to pop legend Michael Jackson, who died on Thursday, describing the entertainer as an icon and the ultimate celebrity.
Williams had already posted her condolences to the Jackson family on the Twitter website hours after the 50-year-olds death in Los Angeles.
The American, who won Wimbledon in 2002 and 2003, offered an even more fulsome tribute after defeating Roberta Vinci in the third round at the All England Club on Friday.
'He was a great guy, a complete icon. Words cant express my shock and horror,' Serena said. 'My thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family. It was a terrible thing.
'Everyone listens to his music. You think of the Beatles, Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson. They are lifetime icons that are never forgotten. Everyone of every colour and race is a huge Michael Jackson fan.
'Hes not been really well from what I read and hes been in and out of the hospital so I wasnt super-shocked, but hes the greatest entertainer of all time.'
Serena spent time with Jackson on several occasions and admitted she was in awe of the singer.
'I met him a few times. I was honoured to meet him. He had such a great heart,' she said.
'He was the ultimate celebrity. Any celebrity that met him was in complete awe. I know I was. When I met him I was like its him, its him.
'He did things that no-one else did. Thriller is still the best video made to this day. He started a whole new trend with that.'
Roger Federer, the five-time Wimbledon champion, said he was saddened by the news and recalled the first time he heard the Americans music.
'I remember in 88 or 89, he came to Basel. I was outside the stadium, because there was such excitement that he would come. I was still very young. I went there with my sister, and we just listened from outside,' said Federer.
'I was at the house late last night when I heard about it. I love his music. Its a very sad moment I think in the music world. He touched many people. Same for me.
'But Ill still listen to his music for many more years to come.'
World number four Novak Djokovic had perfected an impression of Jacksons Thriller for a players video during a function in Monte-Carlo in 2007.
'All the world is probably listening to his music right now,' said the Serbian.
'We always have this players show in Monte-Carlo during the event there.
We impersonate some players, we do some locker room stuff, what the players do good and bad, on and off the court, and then we do some dancing.
'We choose the video. So we chose Thriller and I was him, so you can imagine what it looked like.'
