Serena Williams To ‘Retire’ From Tennis After The U.S Open

Summary

• In a Vogue article, the tennis legend revealed she is evolving away from the sport
• Williams will move on from the game and focus on growing her family
• She admitted the decision to leave the game was painful to accept

Serena Williams has indicated she will retire from tennis after the US Open. Though the 40-year-old has refused to use the word “retirement“, her recent statements indicate she’s leaving the game to transition to other things that are important to her.

Tennis Legend Will Call Time Shortly

Williams is one of the most accomplished tennis players of all time, winning 23 Grand Slam singles titles (second only to Australia’s Margaret Court who won 24 titles). She also holds the record for the most Grand Slam singles matches won by any female tennis player with 365.

Williams won at least one Grand Slam singles title across three different decades. She captured her first Grand Slam singles title at the US Open back in 1999 and last won the crown in 2017. Williams currently tops the Women’s Tennis Association’s all-time prize money rankings, having won more than $94.5 million throughout her career.

Family and Business

Williams recently penned an article for Vogue magazine where she unveiled her plan to focus more on growing her family. The American has a daughter with husband Alexis Ohanian and both want to have a second child. Williams said she will spend the next chapter of her life achieving that particular goal and that means she needed to “evolve away from tennis“.

Williams who will turn 41 in September, shared in the article that leaving the game had been a “taboo” topic and that she and her family would hardly bring it up during conversations. She revealed that it was difficult for her to accept that she needed to move on from the game. She couldn’t say it to anyone else, even to her husband and her mom and dad. Williams said she hated the fact that she had to choose between family and a sport that has become a huge part of her life.

But she also wants to prepare for what’s next and while she would have wanted a happy retirement like Ash Barty and Caroline Wozniacki, Williams said there really is no happiness in leaving the game.

Williams will attempt to win one more Grand Slam singles title at the 2022 US Open before she finally bids goodbye to the sport. Moving forward, Williams will focus on being a mother, achieving her spiritual goals, and embarking on a new, different adventure.