Serena Williams Says She Will Retire From Tennis After U.S. Open
Source: New York Times
Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam champion who has been the face of tennis since winning her first U.S. Open in 1999, said Tuesday that she planned to retire from the sport after playing once more in the tournament, which begins later this month.
Williams, who long ago transcended her sport as a dominant cultural figure, said in an as-told-to cover story for Vogue that she has never liked the word retirement, and preferred the word evolution to describe her next steps. Im evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me, including working with her venture capital firm and growing her family.
Williams said that she and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, planned to have another child.
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 were ready, we can add to our family. I definitely dont want to be pregnant again as an athlete. I need to be two feet into tennis or two feet out.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/09/sports/tennis/serena-williams-retirement-vogue.html
She and Venus have graced the world with their unmatched strength, power, and elegance. Well deserved break and magnificent career.
Ilsa
(61,695 posts)True Dough
(17,311 posts)how Serena really feels about not officially surpassing Margaret Court's Grand Slam record? WaPo had some good perspective last year on how Serena has a claim to being the best female tennis player ever despite not holding that record.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/08/25/serena-williams-margaret-court-grand-slam-record/
SYFROYH
(34,172 posts)...of those who elevate the game and make a cultural impact.
Which is why I still consider Michael Jordan the GOAT of b-ball even as some of his numbers are surpassed.
demmiblue
(36,865 posts)This morning, my daughter, Olympia, who turns five this month, and I were on our way to get her a new passport before a trip to Europe. Were in my car, and shes holding my phone, using an interactive educational app she likes. This robot voice asks her a question: What do you want to be when you grow up? She doesnt know Im listening, but I can hear the answer she whispers into the phone. She says, I want to be a big sister.
Olympia says this a lot, even when she knows Im listening. Sometimes before bed, she prays to Jehovah to bring her a baby sister. (She doesnt want anything to do with a boy!) Im the youngest of five sisters myself, and my sisters are my heroes, so this has felt like a moment I need to listen very carefully to.
Believe me, I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family. I dont think its fair. If I were a guy, I wouldnt be writing this because Id be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labor of expanding our family. Maybe Id be more of a Tom Brady if I had that opportunity. Dont get me wrong: I love being a woman, and I loved every second of being pregnant with Olympia. I was one of those annoying women who adored being pregnant and was working until the day I had to report to the hospitalalthough things got super complicated on the other side. And I almost did do the impossible: A lot of people dont realize that I was two months pregnant when I won the Australian Open in 2017. But Im turning 41 this month, and somethings got to give.
I have never liked the word retirement. It doesnt feel like a modern word to me. Ive 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 Im up to is evolution. Im here to tell you that Im 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.
https://www.vogue.com/article/serena-williams-retirement-in-her-own-words
That cover shot is gorgeous (and precious)!
twodogsbarking
(9,761 posts)spicysista
(1,663 posts)I absolutely adore this wonderful and powerful woman. She and her sister are true American stars!
SYFROYH
(34,172 posts)mcar
(42,334 posts)Serena is a legend.
MissMillie
(38,562 posts)And make no bones about it, tennis is a sport that is tough on the body.
Mostly a pleasure to watch her (she had a few tantrums here and there that I didn't care for). Had to watch her w/ the sound off. Can't stand the screaming (and yeah, I turn the sound off when Rafa plays too).
Congratulations to her for a spectacular career.
iluvtennis
(19,863 posts)bahboo
(16,347 posts)she and Venus changed how the game is played. When Serena was on...she was unbeatable. Used to love watching her playing herself into form during a major. Bravo!
electric_blue68
(14,915 posts)I watched tennis occasionally bc my mom loved it (and she was told by her HS sports coach she could be a pro).
And I'm enough of a sports person to watch a great play in almost any sport.
Oh, she loved the Williams Sisters; 1):because they were great, 2) as an anti-racist she'd chuckked at how some white people were affronted by them in the beginning.
Enjoy the next stages of your life!