Tennis legend Serena Williams has most likely played her last professional game after being knocked out of the US Open by Aussie Ajla Tomljanović in a thrilling three-set match.
Williams announced she would soon retire from the sport in an August interview with Vogue.
“I’m going to miss that version of me, that girl who played tennis. And I’m going to miss you (the fans),” she told the magazine.
After the epic match on Saturday, the former grand slam champion was crying “happy tears” during her on court interview.
A speech worth of the 🐐@serenawilliams | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/0twItGF0jq
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 3, 2022
“Thank you daddy, I know you’re watching. Thanks mum,” the former world number one said.
“I just thank everyone that’s here, that’s been on my side so many years…decades! Oh my gosh, literally decades.
“And I wouldn’t be Serena if it wasn’t for Venus (Williams).”
🏆 186 consecutive weeks at No. 1
🏆 4x Olympic gold medalist
🏆 23-time major champion
🏆 367 major match wins
🏆 6 US Open titles
🏆 73 career titles1 of 1 🐐 @serenawilliams pic.twitter.com/YdON5l7RzX
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 3, 2022
Williams’ Australian opponent Tomljanović admitted that she was shocked by the result.
“I just thought she would beat me,” Tomljanović said in her interview as per the ABC.
“She’s Serena. She’s the greatest of all time. Period.”
Since the match ended, thousands of fans including Michelle Obama, Bill Gates and former White House press secretary Jen Psaki published messages of support and congratulations for a fantastic career.
Congrats on an amazing career, @SerenaWilliams!
How lucky were we to be able to watch a young girl from Compton grow up to become one of the greatest athletes of all time.
I’m proud of you, my friend—and I can’t wait to see the lives you continue to transform with your talents. pic.twitter.com/VWONEMAwz3
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) September 3, 2022
What a run. @serenawilliams will be leaving behind an extraordinary tennis career that challenged the double standard between male and female players. I look forward to watching her continue building her amazing legacy off the court. https://t.co/K9Hxa2jB3I
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) September 3, 2022
The most fierce GOAT=@serenawilliams
— Jen Psaki (@jrpsaki) September 3, 2022
In the original Vogue article, Williams wrote: “I have never liked the word retirement. Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution. I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me.
“A few years ago I quietly started Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm. Soon after that, I started a family. I want to grow that family.”
She said there is “no happiness” in her decision, in fact, there’s “a great deal of pain.”
“It’s the hardest thing that I could ever imagine,” she added.
“I hate it. I hate that I have to be at this crossroads.
“I keep saying to myself, I wish it could be easy for me, but it’s not. I’m torn: I don’t want it to be over, but at the same time I’m ready for what’s next.”
If this is truly her final match, we wholeheartedly wish Serena the best of luck with her post-tennis pursuits.
Go, you good thing!
