Serena Williams Gets Emotional Day After Announcing Her Impending Retirement

By Brian Jones

Serena Williams announced her retirement from tennis on Tuesday and is taking it all in before she says goodbye for good. On Wednesday night, Williams competed in the Canadian Open at Sobeys Stadium Centre Court and lost to Belinda Bencic in the second round. The 23-time Grand Slam champion received two standings ovations, and after the match, Williams was seen in tears before speaking to the Tennis Channel. 

"It's just been so memorable," Williams said, per ET Canada.  "Like I said in my article, I'm terrible at goodbyes, but… goodbye, Toronto! I've always had some amazing times here both on and off the court, I'll be coming back just as a visitor to this city. Otherwise, It's been remarkable, I've had some really amazing matches here, some really cool wins, a crazy match against [Bencic] a few years ago, that was pretty intense."

Williams announced her retirement by writing an essay in Vogue. She also announced the news on Instagram, writing, "There comes a time in life when we have to decide to move in a different direction. That time is always hard when you love something so much. My goodness do I enjoy tennis. But now, the countdown has begun. I have to focus on being a mom, my spiritual goals and finally discovering a different, but just exciting Serena. I'm gonna relish these next few weeks."

Willams will retire after the US Open, which begins on Monday, Aug. 29 in New York. The 40-year-old has had a lot of success at the Grand Slam tournament, winning the title in 1999, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2014. She didn't play in the tournament last year and reached the semifinals in 2020. Williams also reached the finals of the US Open in 2018 and 2019 but lost to Naomi Osaka and Bianca Andreescu, respectively. 

Williams has won 23 Grand Slam titles and played in 33 Grand Slam finals in her career. The tennis legend has also won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with her sister Venus Williams, and the pair have won three gold medals at the Summer Olympics. Serena Williams also won a gold medal in singles competition at the 2012 Olympics in London. Since competing professionally, Williams has earned over $94 million, the most in Women Tennis Association (WTA) history. 

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