"I have to move on": Serena Williams announces retirement after US Open

Aug 9 2022, 3:11 pm

Serena Williams is calling it a career.

The tennis legend penned a letter for Vogue today, announcing that she’s planning on “evolving away from tennis” after this year’s US Open.

“I’ve been reluctant to admit that I have to move on from playing tennis,” Williams wrote. “It’s like a taboo topic. It comes up, and I start to cry. I think the only person I’ve really gone there with is my therapist.”

Williams also discussed her desire for a second child to join her daughter Olympia, and opened up about the realities and difficulties of managing pregnancy, motherhood, and being a pro athlete.

“I’m turning 41 this month, and something’s got to give,” she added. “I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family. I don’t think it’s fair. If I were a guy, I wouldn’t be writing this because I’d be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labor of expanding our family. Maybe I’d be more of a Tom Brady if I had that opportunity. Don’t get me wrong: I love being a woman, and I loved every second of being pregnant with Olympia.”

Williams is currently competing in Toronto at the National Bank Open, where she’s set to play in the round of 32 tomorrow against a yet-to-be determined opponent.

“I feel a great deal of pain,” Williams said about retiring. “It’s the hardest thing that I could ever imagine. I hate it. I hate that I have to be at this crossroads. I keep saying to myself, I wish it could be easy for me, but it’s not. I’m torn: I don’t want it to be over, but at the same time I’m ready for what’s next.”

Serena Williams first burst onto the scene in 1995 at the Bell Challenge in Quebec when she was just 14 years old, and sits behind just Margaret Court with 23 Grand Slam singles titles. Her life was immortalized in the 2021 movie King Richard, documenting her relationship with her titular father as well as older sister Venus.

“My whole life, up to now, has been tennis. My dad says I first picked up a racket when I was three, but I think it was even earlier. There’s a picture of Venus pushing me in a stroller on a tennis court, and I couldn’t have been more than 18 months. Unlike Venus, who’s always been stoic and classy, I’ve never been one to contain my emotions,” she added.

Williams’ full retirement note can be read here.

Adam LaskarisAdam Laskaris

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