Serena Williams has declared that she will soon stop competing in tennis.
In a first-person essay for Vogue, the 23-time grand slam champion revealed that she has decided to retire after winning her first singles match in more than a year on Monday night at the National Bank Open in Toronto.
“I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me,” she wrote.
Williams has committed to playing at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati next week as well as the US Open later this month, and it appears that will be her final tournament.
“Unfortunately I wasn’t ready to win Wimbledon this year,” said the 40-year-old.
“And I don’t know if I will be ready to win New York. But I’m going to try. And the lead-up tournaments will be fun.
“I know there’s a fan fantasy that I might have tied Margaret (Court on 24 slam singles titles) that day in London, then maybe beat her record in New York, and then at the trophy ceremony say, ‘See ya!’
“I get that. It’s a good fantasy. But I’m not looking for some ceremonial, final on-court moment. I’m terrible at goodbyes, the world’s worst.”
