This Could Be Her Last Event, But Maybe Not — Serena Keeps “Evolving Away” Talk Vague, By Choice

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday August 29, 2022

There’s a reason why all sportswriters tend to write “Serena Williams is playing in what will likely be her last tournament” when they mention the impending conclusion of her illustrious career.

It’s due to the fact that Williams has been vague about her “evolving away” from tennis, and doesn’t want to actually say that this US Open will be her last.

During her post-match interview on Monday, after her 6-3, 6-3 victory over Danka Kovinic, Williams was asked the question by a journalist once again.

“Will this definitely be your final tournament?” a reporter asked, to which Williams replied: “I’ve been pretty vague about it, right? I’m going to stay vague because you never know.”

That’s all there is to it. Williams’ legendary career is coming to a close, but the American icon refuses to fully close the door. It’s probably because it pains her so much to have to close off an element of her identity that made and still makes her feel whole. One of the most ferocious competitors that the game has ever seen, Williams is a woman who hated to lose and took every challenge as a personal affront.

And she enjoyed being the best and staving off the competition as she ruled the sport for two decades.

But, she’ll soon realize, once she takes her head out of her own protective bubble, that the tennis is just one of the myriad things that make Williams legendary. She could even end up being better as an entrepreneur, or a mom, or whatever else she sets her sights on.

Still, at the moment she’s feeling the pain of losing a critical part of herself, and she has made no secret of just how difficult this goodbye is.

And during her press conference she did tell reporters that she’s too intertwined with the sport to ever fully say goodbye – good news for all of us.

“I love the sport and I feel like the sport, it’s given me so much,” she said. “It’s given me a platform that I never even thought I would have all because of tennis.

“I don’t see myself not a part of tennis. I don’t know how I’m going to be a part of tennis as of right now. I just don’t know how. But I just feel like we’ve come too far together to just not have anything to do with it.”