There were no lack of celebrities in attendance Monday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium to see Serena Williams begin her final U.S. Open.

But unlike most of them, Francisco Lindor could understand what it felt like to be an athlete who has been at the top of his or her sport playing in a pressure-packed showdown in Flushing. The Mets star shortstop was among the 24,000 in attendance to see Williams begin her tennis swan song with a first-round win over Danka Kovinic.

“It’s special, very special,” Lindor said Tuesday before the Mets played host to the Dodgers. “It’s one of the moments, games that you have goose bumps for the vast majority of the game. It’s awesome.”

As a tennis fan who works across the street from the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Lindor planned to be in attendance on Monday — a well-timed off day for the Mets — even before Williams made her retirement announcement.

But Lindor’s first time seeing Williams play in person — in 2021, Lindor’s first year in New York, Williams did not play in the Grand Slam tournament because of a leg injury — proved to be even more of a spectacle than her average match.

“It’s amazing,” said Lindor, who took in the match with his wife Katia. “She’s been at the top of her sport for such a very long time. To understand her story and to see the things she has dealt with throughout her career, ups and downs, and to stay at that high level for a very, very long time, it’s impressive. It’s something to admire. [Monday] night was part of her history.”

The sellout crowd gave Williams a huge ovation before the match began then stuck around for a post-match ceremony honoring her imminent retirement.

“It was really overwhelming,” Williams told reporters Monday night. “It was so loud I could feel it in my chest and it was a feeling I’ll never forget.”

Lindor, who compared the atmosphere to “a finals game or opening night,” is in the midst of his own smaller-scale comeback in New York after a tough first season with the Mets. He entered Tuesday batting .264 with 21 home runs, 14 steals and a 122 OPS-plus, in addition to strong defense at shortstop as the Mets entered the home stretch of a pennant race.

But on Monday night, the $341 million baseball star was a fan, admiring the 40-year-old, 23-time Grand Slam singles champion.

“I’m a fan of the sport, but I’m also a fan of Serena, and I admire people doing their job at a very, very high level,” Lindor said. “It sucks that you get to see her walk away, but I hope her next chapter in life brings her as much, if not more success than she had in the tennis world.”

Lindor said he has watched tennis since he was a little kid, but has become more of a fan as he gets older and understands the game more. It has a side benefit in addition to seeing fellow athletes compete at the top of their game.

“It definitely gets me away from the game of baseball, so it’s fun,” he said.

On the eve of the tournament on Sunday, Lindor wore U.S. Open-inspired cleats — their color resembling a tennis ball — against the Rockies.

Lindor also planned to head back across the street again later this week before returning to work at Citi Field, with Coco Gauff among the other stars whose matches he wants to watch.

“It’s great,” he said. “Last year I went to a couple matches early in the day and then came back here to do my job.”