Andreescu then took the mic on centre court to give her victory speech. But instead of immediately celebrating, she showed a huge amount of poise and grace as she reiterated her admiration for Williams, one of her tennis idols since childhood.

“This isn’t the way I expected to win or for (Serena) to go off the court, but you (Serena) are truly a champion on and off the court,” she said.

“Hopefully this can give inspiration to young Canadians all over the country,” she continued. “If you have a dream and believe in yourself, you can do anything.”

In a post-match conference, the rising tennis star revealed that she’d felt a great degree of empathy with Williams after she was forced to withdraw from the match.

“I started tearing up because she was tearing up,” Andreescu explained. “It’s because I know how she feels. Injuries really, really suck.”

Andreescu, who became the first Canadian woman to reach the final of the tournament since 1969, also described how she gave Williams a pep talk on the sidelines.

“I just said, ‘Girl, you are…a beast. You’re going to bounce back. You’ve dealt with so much in your career. This is just a minor setback for a major comeback,” she continued.

Serena Williams’ moving tribute to Bianca Andreescu is a masterclass in accepting defeat