Serena Williams: It is time to wind down from tennis

The tennis superstar, Serena Williams, has hinted that the 2022 US Open could be her last active tournament.

The 23-time Grand Slam winner revealed this much in an interview with Vogue, published on 9 August.

“I have never liked the word retirement. It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me, Serena stated a day after winning her first match on the court in more than 400 days.

“I’ve been thinking of this as a transition, but I want to be sensitive about how I use that word, which means something very specific and important to a community of people. 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.”

Serena turned professional in 1995 at 14 and won her first title in 1999. She turns 41 in September after winning almost $100 million in her career.

Serena continued: “But I’ve been reluctant to admit to myself or anyone else that I have to move on from playing tennis. Alexis, my husband, and I have hardly talked about it; it’s like a taboo topic. I can’t even have this conversation with my mom and dad.

“It’s like it’s not real until you say it out loud. It comes up, I get an uncomfortable lump in my throat, and I start to cry. The only person I’ve really gone there with is my therapist! One thing I’m not going to do is sugarcoat this. I know that a lot of people are excited about and look forward to retiring, and I really wish

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“I felt that way. Ashleigh Barty was number one in the world when she left the sport this March, and I believe she really felt ready to move on. Caroline Wozniacki, who is one of my best friends, felt a sense of relief when she retired in 2020.”

The hint may also be about giving a brother or sister to Olimpia. “In the last year, Alexis and I have been trying to have another child, and we recently got some information from my doctor that put my mind at ease and made me feel that whenever we’re ready, we can add to our family.

“I definitely don’t want to be pregnant again as an athlete. I need to be two feet into tennis or two feet out.” The GOAT (greatest of all time) will try to get her hands on a 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open in September but if she doesn’t she has more than done enough. CONTINUE READING…

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