After losing to Ajla Tomljanović in the US Open third round after playing for more than three hours, 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-1, Serena Williams delivered an emotional post-match address.
“I appreciate it, dad; I know you’re watching. Thank you, mum,” Williams exclaimed before breaking down in tears during her on-court post-match interview with Mary Joe Fernandez of ESPN. “Everyone here has supported me for decades, for so many years.
“I guess these are happy tears. I’m not sure. And without Venus, I wouldn’t be Serena, so thank you, Venus. Serena Williams never would have existed without her. The journey was enjoyable. The ride and travel have been the most amazing I’ve ever experienced.
Serena Williams, 40, first mentioned her upcoming retirement from tennis in a Vogue piece that was published last month during the Canadian Open and cited her wish to have another child. She acknowledged the difficulty of the decision and stated that she favored the word “evolution” over “retirement” in the essay.
Williams said she was eager to spend more time with her kid and “discover a different version of Serena” in her post-match news conference. She didn’t fully rule out a possible comeback though. She grinned when Fernandez questioned whether she may think twice before leaving. “I doubt it, but you never know,” she said.
Williams remarked, “I always did love Australia,” the nation that would host the following Grand Slam competition in January when questioned about the same subject a little while later at her postmatch news conference.
Williams has received a hero’s farewell from the crowds in Toronto, Cincinnati, and New York since making her news. All three of her matches contributed to breaking US Open attendance records and featured players like Tiger Woods and former President Bill Clinton. Even the audience at Ashe on Thursday night was packed for her doubles match with sister Venus.
Thousands of people attended Williams’ practice session on Friday in the hopes of catching a look. Even ESPN moved the Michigan State-Western Michigan college football game to ESPN2 in order to promote Williams’ match on the main channel due to the excitement surrounding Williams.
Following her first-round match, Gayle King arranged an on-court celebration to honor Williams’ career. It included a video with Oprah Winfrey as the narrator and a speech by Billie Jean King.
Winfrey remarked, “Thank you for never, ever backing down and for showing us what it means to come back.” “We appreciate you for transforming the game and for igniting the next generation. I appreciate you thinking outside the box and pushing us to advance. We appreciate you teaching us to enjoy the game and always returning the favor.”
There was no official ceremony following the match on Friday, aside from her interview with Fernandez, but the audience, which included Spike Lee, Gayle King, Stan Smith, Saquon Barkley, Russell Wilson, Ciara, Bella Hadid, P.K. Subban, and Venus, showered her with applause all night long, including numerous chants of “Se-re-na.” Williams was unable to secure yet another triumph despite their apparent admiration and unwavering commitment.
Williams took the first four games of the second set after dropping the first set, making a decision all but certain. However, Ajla Tomljanović fought back valiantly with her strong forehand. In the eighth game of the set, which was nine-deuce, she fended off four set points. Williams ultimately demanded the third set following a thrilling tiebreak.
She struggled with her movement and had nothing left for the final. The Australian won the next six games to win the match after defeating Ajla Tomljanović in the first game. Although Williams fought to the last end, Tomljanović needed six match points to win.
“I’ve been through this before. Williams declared, “I don’t truly give up. “I’ve never given up in my profession. I persevere during games. There was no way I was giving up tonight.
Williams’ fight, according to Tomljanovic, didn’t surprise her until the very end. During her own on-court interview, Tomljanovic referred to the subject as “Serena.” She’s the best of all time because that’s just who she is. Period.” Ajla Tomljanović grew up watching Williams play on television and is an open admirer of her.
Ajla Tomljanović, who has never advanced past the quarterfinals at any major, said, “I’m feeling extremely awful, just because I adore Serena just as much as you guys do.” “And what she has accomplished for me and for tennis is fantastic. For me, this is a strange time.
Then Ajla Tomljanović said, to laughter: “I merely believed that she would defeat me. It’s Serena. She is the best of all time because it is who she is. Period.”
Serena Williams After losing to Ajla Tomljanović
Williams waved to the fans after thanking her opponent Ajla Tomljanović and briefly covered her teary face with a towel before conducting her interview. With Tina Turner’s “Simply The Best” playing as she left the court for the final time in singles play at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Williams’ 27-year career that transcended tennis and established her as a global icon may have come to an end.
Williams has won 23 major championships, which is more than any other woman during the Open Era, and is second only to Margaret Court’s (24) record for all-time. She has won 73 career singles titles, 16 major doubles and mixed doubles titles, and 4 Olympic gold medals, and spent 319 weeks at the top of the rankings among her impressive list of accomplishments.
She holds a number of records, including the most hard-court major wins (13) won by any player, the most Grand Slam triumphs (367) by a woman, and the most US Open singles titles (6) in the Open Era, which she shares with Chris Evert. In the Open Era, Williams is one of just four tennis players to win a singles title in each of the four decades. She held the No. 1 ranking and a major title at age 35, making history.
Since she first appeared on the scene, Williams has also left her mark off the court. She has been an advocate for equality and social justice for a while now. As a longtime member of the WTA’s Player Council, she fought alongside Venus for equal prize money for women.
“It has been a while. Williams stated Friday night after a final victory-related twirl and wave. “I’ve been playing tennis my whole life,” she added. “Even though it’s a little too soon, I’m still thrilled because this is exactly what I wanted.
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