Serena Williams has said she is “stepping away from tennis” and looking to “expand her family” as she announced her plans to retire.
Unlike her friend Caroline Wozniacki, who “felt a sense of relief when she retired in 2020,” Williams admitted there was “no happiness in that topic for me.”
She wrote in Vogue magazine: “I feel immense pain. It’s the hardest thing I can imagine. I hate it.”
She continues: “I’m torn: I don’t want it to end. I like to win. I like the battle. I like to entertain.”
But she knows that “this is it, the end of a story that began in Compton, California, with a little black girl who just wanted to play tennis.”
And it looks like the US Open, which begins in New York on August 29, could be his last tournament.
The American sports star recalls “feeling the energy of the crowd”, “night matches at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows” and “hitting an ace on set point”.
Williams at Wimbledon in June
Family is clearly a major consideration as the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion considers her future.
Her daughter, Olympia, wants to “be a big sister,” she writes.
Williams “never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family,” adding: “I don’t think it’s fair.”
She explains: “If I were a man, I wouldn’t be writing this because I would be out there playing and winning while my wife would be doing the physical work of growing our family.
“But I’m turning 41 this month, and something will have to change.
“Over the past year, Alexis (her husband) and I have been trying to have another child, and we recently received information from my doctor that reassured me and made me feel that as soon as we are ready, we will be able to expand our family.
“As an athlete, I definitely don’t want to be pregnant again. I need to play tennis with two feet or go out with two feet.”
Illustrating her approach, she adds: “I never liked the word retirement. It’s not a modern word for me.
“Perhaps the best word for me to describe what I’m doing is ‘evolution.’ I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me.”
She continues: “I don’t want it to be over, but at the same time, I’m ready for what’s next.
“I have started a family. I want to expand this family.”
Williams, her husband Alexis Ohanian and her daughter Olympia. Photo: AP
Williams says retirement has been a difficult subject to negotiate, writing: “I have been reluctant to admit to myself or anyone else that I had to stop playing tennis.
“Alexis and I have barely talked about it; it’s like a taboo subject. I can’t even have this conversation with my parents. It’s like it’s not real until you say it out loud.”
“When that happens, I get an uncomfortable lump in my throat and I start crying.”
Williams says she’s “terrible at saying goodbye, the worst in the world.”
Thanking her fans, she added: “You have carried me to so many victories and so many trophies. I will miss that version of myself, that girl who played tennis. And I will miss you.”
