Serena Williams announced her impending retirement from tennis in a first-person essay on Tuesday — and her exit from the sport will mark the end of an era. With 23 major titles, the most by any player in the Open Era, the 40-year-old Williams is considered one of the best to ever pick up a racket and perhaps the greatest of all time.
Citing her desire to grow her family, as well as continue working on her various business ventures, Williams insisted the decision wasn’t easy, and said she preferred using the word “evolution” instead of “retirement.”
“I’ve been reluctant to admit to myself or anyone else that I have to move on from playing tennis,” Williams wrote for Vogue.com. “Alexis [Ohanian], my husband, and I have hardly talked about it; it’s like a taboo topic. I can’t even have this conversation with my mom and dad. It’s like it’s not real until you say it out loud.
“It comes up, I get an uncomfortable lump in my throat, and I start to cry. The only person I’ve really gone there with is my therapist! One thing I’m not going to do is sugarcoat this. I know that a lot of people are excited about and look forward to retiring, and I really wish I felt that way.”
Williams implied the US Open, which begins on Aug. 29, would be her final tournament. She’s a six-time champion at the event — tied for the most by any singles player in the Open Era — and admitted she would love to win her 24th Grand Slam title in New York to match Margaret Court’s record for the most ever.
But, no matter what happens, her legacy will long live on for generations to come. Ahead of Williams’ presumed final major, here are some of her most unforgettable Grand Slam victories.
1999 US Open
As a 17-year-old playing in just her second US Open, Serena showed a game and maturity well beyond her years with an incredible run in Queens, beating four Grand Slam champions in a row, capped with a final against fellow teenager and world No. 1 Martina Hingis. Serena was in control for much of the match, claiming her first Grand Slam title with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory and becoming an immediate global sensation.
She became the first African-American woman since Althea Gibson in 1958 to win a major singles title, and after winning in doubles with sister Venus, she became the fifth woman in the Open era to win both singles and doubles at the same tournament. It was truly the tournament that started it all, and the beginning of her legendary dominance.