The announcement that Serena Williams would be ending her tennis career after the US Open was met with shock by many, but few were as surprised as Serena herself, who admitted in her press conference that she only made the decision to retire after losing the Australian Open final in January. Williams has been playing professionally since 1994 and has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, making her one of the most accomplished players of all time. Her win at the 2018 Australian Open saw her tie Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles, making it the perfect opportunity to close out her career with another major win.
The six-time U.S. Open winner defeated Montenegrin native Danka Kovini, 27, in straight sets, but what can we anticipate from her in the future?
At least one more match is remaining in Serena Williams’ professional tennis career. The 23-time major winner defeated Montenegrin native Danka Kovini, 27, in straight sets on Monday night, 6-3, 6-3, after earlier declaring the 2022 U.S. Open would be her final match. Jon Wertheim and Chris Almeida of Sports Illustrated talk about how Williams performed in what may have been her final game and what to expect from her moving forward.
After defeating Danka Kovini on Monday in the opening round of the 2022 U.S. Open, Serena Williams will continue to compete in singles matches for at least two more days.
The 23-time Grand Slam winner defeated the 27-year-old Montenegrin at Flushing Meadows in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, in front of an enthusiastic and celebrity-studded audience.
Williams’s nervousness were apparent early in the match despite the hoopla with which he arrived at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday. After double-faulting five times in the opening set, the six-time U.S. Open champion ultimately recovered her serve to finish the first set with two aces in the final three games.
Williams won a break point that put her up 3-2 in the second set and controlled from there because to her strong serve. To the pleasure of the audience in attendance, she would drop just one more game before defeating Kovini.
Williams stated in a first-person article published in Vogue earlier this month that she intended to call it quits on her tennis career soon after the U.S. Open. Williams, who will turn 41 next month, indicated that she intended to “evolve” from tennis after spending more than the previous 20 years on the court and spend more time exploring other endeavours, which includes starting a family.
I’ve never been a fan of the word retiring. It doesn’t strike me as a contemporary word. I’ve been referring to this as a transition, but I want to be careful how I use that word since it has a very particular and significant meaning to a group of individuals. Perhaps evolution is the greatest way to sum up what I’m doing,” she wrote. “I’m here to let you know that I’m moving away from tennis and toward other priorities. I discreetly founded Serena Ventures, a venture investing business, a few years ago. I soon afterward began a family. I want that family to expand.
Williams has the opportunity to add to her 73 career singles victories, 23 career doubles titles, and more than $94 million in career winnings. Williams initially made a name for herself as a teenager with a victory at the 1999 U.S. Open. With 23, she also has the most Grand Slam singles championships in the Open Era, one less than Margaret Court’s all-time record.
Following her victory on Monday, Williams will move on to face Estonian Anett Kontaveit, the No. 2 seed in the draw, on Wednesday.
