Serena Williams ends silence, praises US Open runs of Madison Keys, Sloane Stephens

Former world number 1 and 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams made her first public comments since giving birth to a daughter one week ago, tweeting praise Friday to the US Open women's finalists.

Williams was pregnant when she won the Australian Open in January, moving within one Slam singles crown of Margaret Court's all-time record, and revealed in April on Twitter she was having a baby and would not play again this year.

The six-time US Open champion was excited for fellow Americans Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys, whose Saturday showdown for the title at Arthur Ashe Stadium will be the first Grand Slam final for each of them.

"There are NO words to describe how proud and how happy I am for @Madison_Keys keys and @SloaneStephens for making the US open finals," Williams tweeted. "These amazing women continue to change the game and bring excellence, power, finesse and change to tennis. What a joy it will be to watch this- hopefully first of many finals. Let's go ladies!"

Here are her tweets:

There are NO words to describe how proud and how happy I am for @Madison_Keys keys and @SloaneStephens for making the US open finals.

— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) September 8, 2017

These amazing women continue to change the game and bring excellence, power, finesse and change to tennis.

— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) September 8, 2017

What a joy it will be to watch this- hopefully first of many finals. Let's go ladies! 

— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) September 8, 2017

In Thursday's semi-finals, Stephens ousted Serena's older sister Venus, a seven-time Grand Slam champion who had been seeking her third US Open crown and first since 2001.