Serena Williams

Williams suffered a third-round loss to Ajla Tomljanovic at the US Open; 40-year-old is expected to retire from competitive tennis, having won 23 Grand Slam ...

Her last match — at the U.S. Open and probably of her career — was a gutsy display of the power and resilience that have kept fans cheering for nearly 30 ...

In the third round of US Open 2022, Serena was up against Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic and the Australian won 7-5, 6-7 (4-7), 6-1.

Serena Williams looks to have concluded her career after her US Open defeat on Friday and tributes have been pouring in.

Serena Williams faced ignorance and malice and shot both down with her strength on and off the tennis court, and she will be sorely missed.

NEW YORK: Tiger Woods and former first lady Michelle Obama hailed Serena Williams as "the greatest" on Friday as the tennis superstar headed into ...

Serena Williams' illustrious tennis career has come to an end after she lost to Ajla Tomljanovic 7-5 6-7 (4-7) 6-1 in the third round of the US Open.

Serena Williams' illustrious tennis career has come to an end after she lost to Ajla Tomljanovic 7-5 6-7 (4-7) 6-1 in the third round of the US Open.

Analytics, scouting first-time opponents, additional coaching input, new footwork drills and treating doubles like practice — so far it's adding up to ...

Twenty-seven years on the professional tour, 23 grand slam singles titles and a plethora of records; Serena Williams is leaving tennis as one of the ...

Williams, who lost possibly her last match on Friday night, made herself felt beyond the game as arguably no player ever has.

When it was over, Venus hugged her downcast sister at the net and said, in her ear, “I love you.” Try forgetting that. I wasn’t there in 2001, when Serena, playing her older sister Venus, anxious and unable to settle in—as she often was against Venus—made batches of unforced errors and lost her second U.S. Even before I was born, it was what I was meant to do and what I was supposed to do and what was chosen for me.” The Times sent a reporter to an obscure tournament in Canada in October, 1995, to cover her first professional match—which she lost badly, to an eighteen-year-old American named Annie Miller. In the seventh game of that set, Serena crushed a return winner to break Andreescu’s serve; then she held her own serve; then she broke Andreescu’s serve again and held once more to even the set at 5–5. There was also, a year later, Serena’s [final](https://www.newyorker.com/sports/sporting-scene/in-her-us-open-victory-bianca-andreescu-shows-the-swagger-that-serena-williams-brought-to-womens-tennis) against Bianca Andreescu, in which she dropped the first set, and fell behind five games to one in the second. The last ball she hit was a forehand into the net, and it was likely the last ball she will ever hit on the women’s tour—she announced, in August, that she was “evolving away from tennis,” and the understanding was that the U.S. As dominant a player as she was—the most dominant the sport has seen—her struggles were also numerous, and absorbing, and, sometimes, spectacular enough to become indelible. She would go on to lose the set, 5–7, and the match, and her last real shot at a twenty-fourth major—but not before driving those on hand to cheer for her to raucous delirium. Serena has played in the main singles draw at the U.S. To be a fan of any athlete is to know the ending and to begin processing it before it arrives. For certain stretches, such as the first games of the second set, Serena struck aces and open-stance backhands and swinging volleys as if time—and giving birth to a daughter, five years ago—had taken nothing from her game. It was Daniel Kahneman, with the American psychologist Barbara Fredrickson, who recognized that, in what and how we remember, there tends to be a cognitive bias at work.

Serena and Tiger made different choices when it came to playing in South Carolina when the Confederate flag was still flying over the statehouse.

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After a spirited run in what was likely her final tennis match, Serena Williams couldn't help but look back fondly at her career after falling 7-5, 6-7 (4), ...

As a result, women's tennis says goodbye to the last dominant force in the sport, with Iga Swiatek the only player showing signs of carrying that torch. She would win the Australian Open for the first time in 2003, with her powerful serve a big reason why. It's become much more balanced, with the level of competition having been raised thanks to the example set by Serena Williams. Serena made her debut at the age of 14 in 1995, but it wasn't until 1999 that she began to make her mark at the top. In 2002, she won at Roland Garros and Wimbledon for the first time. It's been the most incredible ride and journey I've ever been on."

Serena Williams thanked her parents as well as her older sister, Venus, in a post-game interview following what was likely her final match in her solo ...

"It’s been an honor to watch your journey, to watch you conquer all of the goals that you ever set out, to see you break records, to see you just be amazing and transcendent not only on the tennis court, but also off.” “It’s been really hard on her, my career, so it’ll be nice to just do that and spend some time with her and do things that I never really have done or had an opportunity to do. Many reporters also asked the question on everyone’s mind after she announced in “It takes a lot of work to get here. "I wouldn't be Serena if there wasn't Venus," she said. "But it all started with my parents, and they deserve everything, so I'm really grateful for them."

Pure grit and scintillating play – Williams's curtain call against Ajla Tomljanović demonstrated how she changed all sport for ever.

She had a magical run, she played brilliantly at times, she reminded everyone of the qualities that have made her a legend. It turns out, not too surprisingly, that Williams has a decent nose for an investment: she has so far funded 16 “unicorns”, companies valued at more than $1bn. “She doesn’t want anything to do with a boy,” says Williams – and Serena, the youngest of five sisters, doesn’t want to deny her that. The first to pay homage to Williams was a shell-shocked Tomljanović, who said before the match that she planned to play in earplugs to drown out the partisan support. But on Friday night, it was also clear that she felt a small pang of regret: how much deeper could she have gone if she’d started practising a little earlier? “Surreal” was a spot-on description for the evening, which started for a UK audience at midnight and culminated after 3am. Williams won her first grand-slam title, aged 17, in a different century: the US Open in 1999. She thanked her dad Richard, and her mum Oracene, who was the only person in the stadium not losing their mind, and may even have been having a nap at times. Current players, from Naomi Osaka to Coco Gauff to Emma Raducanu, spoke powerfully about how she paved the way for them, and She prefers to say that she is in “transition”, although she’s well aware that’s a sensitive concept in 2022, so generally when she’s asked about what’s next for her, Williams settles on “evolution”. Williams often jokes that she is the “world’s worst” at goodbyes, but on court, after the match, she did a pretty terrific job. [Williams lost an exhilarating, excruciating third-round match](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/sep/02/serena-williams-ajla-tomljanovi-us-open-tennis-third-round-retirement) at the US Open to Australia’s Ajla Tomljanović.

Tennis champion Serena Williams probably played the final match of her career at the U.S. Open on Friday night, and it was as unforgettable as her impact on ...

(And there was controversy too: In 2009 there were people who, [wrongly](https://nymag.com/daily/sports/2009/09/serena_williams.html), wanted her banned from the U.S. Government Has Forced Me to Side With Novak Djokovic](//nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/08/the-government-has-forced-me-to-side-with-novak-djokovic.html) [See All](//nymag.com/tags/tennis) (This is not dissimilar to how universally beloved Muhammad Ali was at the end of his life despite [ being one of the most unpopular figures in the country for a large percentage of it](https://web.archive.org/web/20160715201446/https:/www.sportsonearth.com/article/182464088/muhammad-ali-died-race-activism-lebron-james).) The Williams sisters — and, specifically, their dad — were seen as a blight on tennis when they arrived in the late ‘90s, too brash, too unrefined and, mostly, too Black; their very presence was seen as an affront to the sport itself. [a fashion icon](https://www.thecut.com/2015/08/serena-williams-still-has-tennis-history-to-make.html), an entrepreneur, a public figure of unparalleled influence, and an avatar of power, grace, and fierce independence. Serena Williams is only 40, which is old for a tennis player but not old for anyone else. This despite the sisters themselves being unfailingly polite and endearingly precocious, real teenagers — not forged in some tennis academy lab, so earnest and star-struck by the tennis stars they adored and were suddenly surrounded by that they self-published [ a tennis newsletter called Tennis Monthly Recap](https://slate.com/culture/2015/09/serena-and-venus-williams-the-sisters-used-to-write-their-own-newsletter-it-was-pretty-good.html) which featured articles written by Serena and Venus about the sport they were just about to dominate. Open for an emotional outburst at an umpire.) The way Serena was embraced in her final U.S. The night was a valediction to Williams, but not just her — also her sister, her family, and really the entire last 25 years of tennis. Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, was the greatest women’s player of her generation, possibly of all time. While the powers that be were trying to run them out of the sport, the Williams sisters were interviewing tour players and writing about their nervousness. But if this really was the end, her riveting loss to Ajla Tomljanovic was a fitting public farewell, with an entire stadium (and an entire sporting public at home) saying an emotional goodbye to someone they’ve spent a large portion of their lives watching. A whole bunch of the same people who were celebrating Serena last night desperately wanted her and her sister to go away when they first arrived.

Following is reaction to Serena Williams' defeat by Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic at the U.S. Open on Friday, likely to be the last match of the 23-times ...

When the 23-time major champion says she's retiring, maybe it's time to believe her – and for her to believe herself.

It was a weight only redoubled by the two strikes against her in American society: being born a woman and being born black. Then a fourth, then a fifth as the match extended past the three-hour mark. Other than winning the whole tournament, it was the perfect way to go out: 15 minutes of pure fight. When Williams won her first of 23 grand slam titles at the 1999 US Open as a 17-year-old, her road to the trophy included five opponents who one day would end up in the Hall of Fame: Kim Clijsters, Conchita Martínez, Monica Seles, Lindsay Davenport and Martina Hingis. Even as she fielded a congratulatory phone call from President Clinton afterward, it was impossible to fully reckon the extent to which her triumph would shape the perception of female athletes in the new millennium. She will continue to define success on her own terms as she has for nearly three decades in the unsparing public eye as a working-class black woman from Compton who rewrote the record books of a sport predominantly owned, played and watched by affluent white people. [only the latest example of a great champion](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/mar/14/tom-bradys-nfl-return-is-both-understandable-and-potentially-foolish) finding it hard to close the book on the glory days. [Serena Williams](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/serena-williams) Invitational over the course of five days that boasted record attendances and US television ratings – has been so fulfilling. Even in the cathartic aftermath of [Friday night’s third-round defeat](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/sep/02/serena-williams-ajla-tomljanovi-us-open-tennis-third-round-retirement) to Ajla Tomljanović, the sudden deluge of tears seemed to express a finality that she either could not or would not articulate in words. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to do that.” With a marriage to a supportive partner who shares her values, a daughter who just turned five and a venture capital firm that has raised more than $100m, there will be no crisis over her sense of purpose. But these extended farewells almost always end in a messy defeat: as a last act, Friday night’s epic in front of roaring crowd on Arthur Ashe was about as good as it gets.

There's no doubt Serena Williams is one of the greatest players tennis has ever seen. Whether she is the GOAT — greatest of all time — depends on how you ...

Her legacy is tied up in intangible concepts like race, gender and overall impact both in and out of the sport. But also because the amount of money poured into tennis, and most sports, these days far outstrips those of yesteryear. She only made around $300,000 from playing tennis, but $45 million off the court. And most hang around, picking up pay cheques in Acapulco and Monte Carlo long after their time as a competitive force is over. See you at the next GOAT debate. But what if we weight doubles titles as half a singles title? She is consistently the highest-earning female athlete in the world and was the only woman on Forbes's list of the wealthiest athletes of the decade from 2010-2019, worth an estimated $US215 million ($310 million) at the time. She's no match for the great Aussie champ. So, let's start by restricting it solely to titles after that point. In fact, according to the official numbers from the men's and women's tours, the 73-time title winner is behind only the 'Big Three' of Roger Federer (103 titles), Rafael Nadal (92) and Novak Djokovic (88) in terms of prize money won. As you can see, no-one can match Williams with that 18-year winning window from the 1999 US Open to the Australian Open in 2017, bearing in mind Nadal (2005-2022) and Djokovic (2008-2022) are still regularly winning slams. But three of Williams's Olympic titles were won in the doubles alongside sister Venus, and if we're going to include that for the gold medals, then surely we have to do it for the majors too.

“thank you @serenawilliams for transcending sports for black athletes, female athletes and every athlete,” Olympic gymnast Simone Biles tweeted. “such a ...

“not listening to no arguments about it i’m so sorry thats mother of all mothers,” [said another](https://twitter.com/ungodlywests/status/1565887901992247298?s=20&t=GJNjYjRV6GpVKJN9A95RbA). [shared by Twitter](https://twitter.com/TwitterSports/status/1565898343099772928) showed she was the most tweeted about female athlete of all time. It’s been the most incredible journey I’ve ever been on in my life.” But…you have carried me to so many wins and so many trophies. "It is because of you I believe in this dream." With that, Williams's run ended at the tournament, which is expected to be her last.

The 23-time Grand Slam winner revealed how she plans to spend her time after Friday's loss.

When the COVID-19 pandemic suspended play on the WTA Tour, Williams had the chance to visualize what her life might resemble without the sport she has loved since childhood. Moments after one of the most dramatic matches of her career, Williams shared plans of what she looked forward to doing most after Friday’s loss. Open, the event where she won her first Grand Slam title in 1999 at age 17. Williams delivered a tenacious performance in the longest of her three matches in the 2022 U.S. But in her time away, Williams got an opportunity to envision life without having to go to the gym. [shared her “evolution” from the sport on Aug.

Serena Williams, considered by many to be the greatest women's tennis player ever, is also the GOAT on Twitter among female athletes.

Open. Open tournament, Twitter launched an exclusive GOAT emoji -- with a tennis skirt and racket -- to honor Williams’ final tournament and greatest-of-all-time-level career. On the first day of the U.S.

Sure there is a golf tournament to think about – balls to hit, putts to make, and strategy to map out as players entered the weekend at the Dana Open ...

“Serena has been one of my greatest inspirations and obviously one of the greatest tennis players ever to touch a racquet. “To me she's probably like the greatest athlete in history on the women's side, and probably on the men's. “It’s sad to see her retire and see her era on the court come to an end. Even when I see some of the LPGA moms, I'm like, wow, it's hard enough doing one thing, but to juggle, not two, it's multiple things, it's pretty crazy. “I did see a quote that she did: I'm going to go from good mom to great mom. There are things that my baby is going to experience that other babies are never going to experience. I feel special to have been alive to witness this.” She spent so much time on the court, but knowing that it was her last time, it’s obviously really special to see. “I thought that was such a perfect word. More than most, they know what Serena means to women’s sports as a whole. In what is almost certainly her last grand slam match, Serena Williams battled gallantly through three sets at the U.S. Many LPGA Tour players did just that, walking away from Highland Meadows Golf Club on Friday in time to catch a little tennis on television.

Right down to what were, barring a change of heart, the final minutes of her quarter-century of excellence on the tennis court, and an unbending ...

“It is a little soon, but I’m also happy because, I mean, this is what I wanted, what I want.” Open’s third round of singles competition, including reaching at least the semifinals in her most recent 11 appearances in New York. She would win her first major trophy 12 months later at the U.S. Billie Jean King, a Hall of Famer with 39 total Grand Slam titles across singles, doubles and mixed doubles, raised her cellphone to capture the scene. He was the central figure in the Oscar-winning film “King Richard,” produced by his daughters. Williams let a 5-3 lead vanish in the first set. She did something similar in the second, giving away edges of 4-0 and 5-2, and requiring five set points to finally put that one in her pocket. … (But) I’m ready to be a mom, explore a different version of Serena,” she said. That’s that’s just who she is: She’s the greatest of all time. And what she’s done for me, for the sport of tennis, is incredible,” said Tomljanovic, who has never been past the quarterfinals at any major. Open in the third round by Ajla Tomljanovic 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-1 on Friday night in what is expected to be her final contest. “I’m so grateful to every single person that’s ever said, ‘Go, Serena!’ in their life.”

President Joe Biden congratulated Serena Williams Saturday on her long and successful career after she lost Friday in the third round at the U.S. Open to ...

.@KingJames giving the QUEEN @serenawilliams all her 💐 💐 💐

(via @uninterrupted)pic.twitter.com/Z9gdO7w7Cf 1
🏆 4x Olympic gold medalist
🏆 23-time major champion
🏆 367 major match wins
🏆 6 US Open titles
🏆 73 career titles

1 of 1 🐐 @serenawilliams pic.twitter.com/YdON5l7RzX President Joe Biden congratulated Serena Williams Saturday on her long and successful career after she lost Friday in the third round at the U.S.