After nearly two decades of appearing alongside one another on billboards and in record books, Serena Williams and Roger Federer faced one another across a tennis court for the first time.
Two legends of tennis, now both 37, aligned in a mixed doubles match between the United States and Switzerland at the Hopman Cup team event in Perth, Australia, on Tuesday.
On the opening point, Williams pulled Federer wide to his forehand side with a sharply angled volley, then sent a smash toward the opposite corner that he could not reach in time to send back. Long exchanges between the two proved few, however, with each using their serve to effectively neutralize the other.
The lack of long rallies did not seem to matter to the crowd of 14,064 in Perth Arena -- the highest single-session attendance in the event's 31-year history -- and Williams and Federer clearly delighted in the chance to hit the ball around with each other a couple of weeks before more serious play at the Australian Open.
"It was a great experience," Williams said as she joined Federer on court after the match. "I'm kind of sad it's over. It was just warming up."
Federer and his partner, Belinda Bencic, beat Williams and Frances Tiafoe in an abbreviated format match by the score of 4-2, 4-3 (5-3) in 46 minutes.
Despite the initial, promising exchange in the first set, Williams and Federer seemed to settle into more conservative play; in the entire first set, neither Federer nor Williams succeeded in making a single return off the other's serve.
Federer and Williams both gained more of a foothold on the other's serve in the second set, which was highlighted by a six-shot exchange of powerful cross-court ground strokes between the two before Federer won the point by ripping a forehand toward Tiafoe.
Williams and Federer afterward sized each other up.
"I was nervous returning, because you just don't know," Federer said. "People talk about her serve so much, and I see why it is such a wonderful serve, because you just can't read it."
"I can't read yours either," Williams interjected, laughing.
The New York Times contributed to this report.
"It was great, great fun," Federer added. "She's a great champion -- you see how focused and determined she is -- and I love that about her."
Williams eagerly reciprocated.
"I mean, the guy is great, he's the greatest of all time, to be honest," Williams said.
After Williams insisted that they hold rackets during an on-court selfie, they walked back to their seats with their arms wrapped around one another, and Federer said his racket was hers to keep.
As she carried it into the players' area of Perth Arena alongside Tiafoe, Williams stared at the racket with visible wonderment, showing it to her partner and letting him hold it briefly.
"I was so excited," Williams told reporters. "Literally, it was the match of my career. I don't know, just playing someone so great, and someone that you admire so much -- and a match that actually means something. It's not often that that happens."
The mixed doubles win gave the tie to Switzerland, who are the defending champions after Federer and Bencic won the competition last year. Williams expressed mild disappointment at her play, especially considering her superior doubles pedigree of 16 Grand Slam titles to Federer's none.
"I'm the one that won those doubles Grand Slams, but it didn't look like it," she said.
The New York Times contributed to this report.
Sports on 01/02/2019