Serena Williams rings in 35th birthday

On Monday, Serena Williams celebrated her 35th birthday, and there was an outpouring love full of birthday wishes. Most people just secretly count their Facebook notifications on their big day, while someone of Williams' fame surely loses track.

*ESPN* compiled quotes from athletes, actresses and singers singing their praises of Williams.

"She's the ultimate competitor, a person that plays the game with so much fire and passion," said Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson.

"I know the numbers and the stats and the records, but I feel her career is the best in the history of the game even without those,” said her biggest recent rival (at least for the first half of the year) Victoria Azarenka.

Despite all that tennis has given her, the 22-time Grand Slam champion recently said she wouldn’t want her children to play tennis. Imagine following in the footsteps of an athlete well on her way to becoming the greatest of all time.

“I wouldn’t want the stigma of mummy Serena, I think that would be a lot of pressure and I would like for them to do their own thing and have their own name and be the best at whatever they wanted to do,” Williams told *Sky Sports News* last week.

Williams was replaced by Angelique Kerber at the top of the WTA rankings after falling in the US Open semifinals. She has pulled out of Wuhan and Beijing with a shoulder injury.