and look forward to retiring, and I really wish I felt that way. Ashleigh Barty was number one in the world when she left the sport this March, and I believe she really felt ready to move on. Caroline Wozniacki, who is one of my best friends, felt a sense of relief when she retired in 2020.”
“Praise to these people, but I’m going to be honest. There is no happiness in this topic for me. I know it’s not the usual thing to say, but I feel a great deal of pain. 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.”
No matter what angle you look at it, Serena Williams sparked a generation of young women to believe in a dream of playing professional tennis–something that they wouldn’t have done without seeing Serena and her big sister Venis.
Serena wasn’t just an ideo, she was real. She had moments that were hard to watch, like yelling at a linesperson or losing her game and her composure against Naomi Osaka at the 2018 US Open. Yet, all in all, she was and will forever be and champion on and off the court.
Hats off to you Serena, job well done. Your legacy lives on.