Tennis without Serena Williams (40). Inconceivable for fans. And neither does she, apparently…
After the US Open (starting on Monday), the 23-time Grand Slam winner will most likely retire. Williams: “I’m not happy about this topic, I feel a lot of pain.”
And: “It’s the hardest thing I can imagine. I hate it. I hate being at a crossroads.”
She chose the US Open for her probably last appearance, where she won her first major title in 1999. The home crowd will give her an unforgettable farewell, perhaps in her opening match on Tuesday night (1 a.m. German time) against Danka Kovinic from Montenegro. Night session, almost 24,000 spectators at Arthur Ashe Stadium – all eyes on Williams. Just like later in doubles with sister Venus, there was a wildcard from the organizer.
After Serena announced her retirement in Vogue, there was a rush for tickets. Regular $35 tickets for the opening night are said to have sold for up to $7,000 on the black market.
Williams doesn’t want to disappoint the fans at their 21st US Open, even if the mother of a four-year-old daughter has long since passed her peak in sport. She doesn’t know if she can win the last Grand Slam tournament of the year. Your last major title was more than five years ago. But Williams says, “I’ll try.”
And what do the stars of the scene say before the probably last Williams major?
Rafael Nadal (Spain/Grand Slam record winner): “As an athlete, she was not only a tennis player, but also one of the most important athletes in the history of the sport. From a tennis point of view, it’s a big loss that she’s leaving. Now she deserves to be able to choose what she wants to do. She is a legend. I hope that she will continue to be involved in the tennis world.”
Coco Gauff (USA/world rankings twelfth): “Before Serena came along, there wasn’t really an icon in the sport who looked like me. Growing up I never thought I was different because the world number 1 was someone who looked like me. She never made herself small. I love that she has always strived for greater things herself.”
Serena Williams is fighting for the last Grand Slam tournament of the year. Probably the last for her
Iga Swiatek (Poland/world number one): “For me, it’s still pretty surreal when I see her. I still feel like a kid watching her. She is the great role model, for sure. Especially with how she manages to do business or be a mother and play at the same time. I think it’s great that we have someone like that in our sport who paved the way and showed us that you can do anything. The sky is the limit.”
Emma Raducanu (Great Britain/Defending Champion at the US Open): “Serena achieved so much in this game. I find it really inspiring to play for so long. It just shows their drive. It’s pretty incredible how dominant she has been for most of her career.”
Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece/world ranking fifth): “Serena had kind of a domino effect with her career, with her community. She was very inspiring, also for me. What she did on and off the tennis court elevated the game of tennis and made it so important as a sport. She is a phenomenon.”