NEW YORK: Serena Williams will make her farewell entrance at the US Open on the grandest tennis stage, but it won’t likely be a fairytale ending for one of the most fascinating people in sports.Serena’s transformation from champion to mother, wife, businesswoman, and finally part-time tennis player has been a long time coming, yet in some ways Serena’s choice seemed to catch everyone off guard. Including Serena.
Serena hinted at her impending retirement in an early August Vogue piece, calling herself “developing away from tennis” but never explicitly stating that the US Open would be her last match.But at Flushing Meadows, the tennis community is planning a major retirement celebration.Without a question, New York City, a city that has embraced her throughout her career and helped her win six US Open titles, is the best place to call it a day on one of tennis’ greatest careers.
Serena won her first of 23 singles Grand Slam wins there in 1999, and if a Hollywood movie were being made, it would also be the location of her final major victory—a coveted 24th title that would tie her with Margaret Court atop the all-time list.But even ardent Serena followers will have a hard time believing the 40-year-old is capable of working such magic.
