Rarely is a player — legendary or ordinary — who completely leaves the field on their own. Serena Williams didn’t want her career to end Friday night at Flushing Meadows in New York. But, barring a change of heart in the coming months, it’s over.
Williams’ accusation at age 40 came at the hands of a player nearly 12 years her junior, Ajla Tomljanovic. One of the greatest players of all time was beaten 7-5, 6-7, 6-1 in the third round of the US Open. It was her first major Williams outing since she was 16 — since 1998. That was her first draw in this event.
A year later, she would begin her ascension to the tennis world and win the US Open, the first of 23 titles — a record for the opening season of tennis.
Williams is second in all-time hits in the Majors behind Margaret Court’s 24. In the eyes of most of those who know and love the sport, Williams has a claim to the Goat status imposed on her during the winter of her 23-year-old career. Given how she won 73 titles, 367 majors, four Olympic gold medals and redefined what was possible on the tennis court, there is little argument against Williams being considered is the most powerful game, physical, athletic, elegant and inspiring ever.
Apart from the trophies and records, the biggest thing you can say about Serena Williams is that she played the game of tennis differently than before, and her style is inimitable. Like all legends, it has its own greatness.
Yet, she entered the US Open with no assurances. Her expectations are lower than anything she’s played since she was 16 years old. She said so earlier this week. This was a farewell tour that did not guarantee more than one game.
It didn’t end with one game.
She became the center of international sports this week again, owning her legend and building, even without going deep into the 21st seemingly in the US Open of her life. On Friday night in Flushing Meadows, Williams put on the kind of performance that will remain in the final picture of a career in fitness. Even if the results were not on her side, even if she did not fully explain the way she went, she made sure to conclude the last memorable conclusion, the passion chapter.
There are many things that can be learned from the loss. With millions around the world watching and huge crowds at Arthur Ashe Court hanging on to every swing, Williams’ game was as inspiring as ever. On the heels of two surprising (but not really all that surprising) wins in the first two rounds, we all started to wonder, if we didn’t try to think… something epic could be doing ?
It’s not normal. But something memorable happened anyway. The way Williams presented her closing performance was a fascinating addition to her legend. No, she didn’t pay on her terms. She went with everything she had, though. It took Tomljanovic 3 hours and 5 minutes to knock out Williams in the 142nd US Open. It was the longest US Open match of Williams’ career. Suitable
The final match of her career featured eight deuces, six match points and took 14 minutes to complete. At 5-1, Williams still managed to get Tomljanovic back on her heels a few times, and then she tricked the crowd with the winning goal again.
The 29-year-old couldn’t be cracked, though. The drama of tennis is how the end of a match can be tied to one swing of the racket. One point goes one way, game over. It’s another, it’s impossible to tell how big the war will be. Williams and Tomljanovic felt like a clock in the final 14 minutes.
And then, suddenly, it was over. The disconcerting sound of Williams’ early shot being caught in the net was like a punch to the gut. Finished. It’s like that. 53 minutes into the final stretch of her career, Williams’ run was done. A very special American sports star put on a marathon performance, one that could have had an impact on the aftermath.
Williams (officially ranked 605th in the world heading into the US Open) leads Tomljanovic (ranked 46th) 5-3 in the first set. At this point it looks like Williams could make short work of Friday night and set up a Sunday fourth-round matchup that will truly set up one of the biggest sports stories of 2022. Instead, Tomljanovic was able to put himself together. add great services with great returns. . Over the course of three hours, she held the baseline and edged at least a dozen points, often to the chagrin of Williams, who grew into a habit of two decades of dominance to see her opponents send those long shots.
Friday night was the first time these two played against each other. Their singles match should go down as one of the most memorable matches of Williams’ career. Williams didn’t go out of her way to obey. In an unrehearsed moment of raw honesty from a pro player, Tomljanovic said afterward that she didn’t even expect to win.
“What it did for me, tennis is amazing,” Tomljanovic said. “I never thought I would get the chance to play her in her last game when I was young and watching her in all those finals. This is a surreal moment for me.”
For all the praise Tomljanovic had for Williams after the match, she was unbeaten for most of the night. Her motivation on the ground is similar to Williams’ power. She grew calmer, more confident as the New York night wore on. Williams, a day removed from playing the final doubles match of her career alongside older sister Venus, overcame obvious fatigue with her signature enthusiasm, vocal intensity and will-like presence.
This was only Williams’ seventh game of the year.
Tomljanovic overturned the first set, coming from 5-3 down to win 7-5. Williams came out and promptly won the first game of the second set. Then, everything started to click. She was reading Tomljanovic’s angles. The service was strong, reliable. Grape, a powerful two-handed backhand was landing for Williams. They won 4-0. She moved to the third row.
Until Tomljanovic messed up again. Down 5-2, there was a marathon game with nine deuces and 24 points that lasted more than 15 minutes. Tomljanovic won 5-3. Then it was 5-5. They would go for a split, and Williams refused to be swept. At this point the game transgressed into memorable status. On her way to winning the second set of the playoffs, Williams hit a serve of 117 miles per hour, her hardest of the night.
More than two hours of play.
From a competitive standpoint, it was everything tennis fans could have hoped for. Williams was pushed but she didn’t. She wouldn’t give this one. This game was so good, so exciting, and so full of drama, Williams can’t be mistaken for second-guessing her decision to retire in the coming months.
Don’t bank on it, though. This was not the desired result, but it was as satisfying as any loss can be. Now comes the next stage. In addition to being a fashion mogul, Williams is first and foremost a dedicated and dedicated mother. In her press conference after the game, she reflected that she had spent all but two or three days of her daughter Alexis’s life with her. Bigger family plans await.
The end of games can carry a bitter element to them, but when she heard Williams suddenly give a farewell speech, she showed why she is here now and who made her win the championship she will always be remembered for.
“Thanks, dad, I know you’re watching,” Williams said into her father’s microphone when interviewed on the court after the game.
Her voice began to crack. Several tears appeared.
“It all started with my parents and they deserve everything, so I’m really grateful to them,” she said. “Oh my God. These are happy kids, I guess, I don’t know. And I wouldn’t be Serena if it wasn’t for Venus. So, thank you, Venus. … She’s the only reason Serena Williams ever existed.”
The stoic older sister finally broke down. The cameras immediately caught her wiping away tears from her face.
A huge American tennis story found its conclusion Friday night in Queens. Few sports carry the emotional power and irresistible pull of an aging athlete falling to the bottom of their own racing and restoring what made them so good to begin with. In the final three matches this week, for the first time in years, we got one last chance to see what made Serena Williams great.
A forty-year-old fighting her stomach until the last push of the racket.
I couldn’t have it any other way.
At the US Open, Serena is making her losses count — of her 10 losses at the event, eight have come against opponents ranked in the top 10 in the world. In her semi-final loss to Roberta Vinci (No.
How many times did Serena Williams win Wimbledon?
Williams was no different – after winning back-to-back titles in 2002 and 2003 to briefly break her sister’s reign, she ended up with seven Wimbledon titles.
Which woman has won Wimbledon the most? Since then, various female professional players have won Wimbledon titles. As of 2021, the most successful player was Martina Navratilova with nine titles. This may interest you : Is FIFA 23 the last game in the franchise? Why EA Sports is rebranding with a new name. Steffi Graf and Serena Williams are tied for second in the rankings with seven wins each.
Who has won the most Wimbledon titles?
| A player | The country | Winning |
|---|---|---|
| Roger Federer | Switzerland | 8 (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2017) |
| Pete Sampras | USA | 7 (1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000) |
| Novak Djokovic | Serbia | 7 (2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022) |
| Bjorn Borg | Sweden | 5 (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980) |
Did Serena Williams ever win at Wimbledon?
Despite the health scare, she quickly recovered. Williams won Wimbledon and the US Open in 2012, securing her first and only singles Olympic gold medal. This may interest you : Rosters announced for Special Olympics Unite Sports All-Star Soccer Match | MLSSoccer.com. In doing so she became the first tennis player to record a career “Golden Slam” in singles and doubles.
Who has won more Venus or Serena?
Venus won 49 singles titles during her career, Serena won 73. The Williams sisters are the only two women during the Open Season to compete in four consecutive finals: starting in 2002 French Open to 2003 Australian Open. On the same subject : Video Games and the Cake Promise. Serena won all four of those finals.
Who won more matches Venus or Serena? 31: Serena and Venus have faced each other 31 times in singles matches. Serena holds the advantage with a 19-12 record.
Who won more Wimbledon Venus or Serena?
| Venus | Serena | |
|---|---|---|
| The highest grade of kidney: | No. 1 (February 25, 2002) | No. 1 (July 8, 2002) |
| Highest double rating: | No. 1 (June 7, 2010) | No. 1 (June 7, 2010) |
| Women’s Boat Names: | 49 | 73 |
| Names of women’s doubles: | 22 | 23 |
How many times has Serena Williams won the Grand Slam?
In addition to her 23 singles Grand Slam titles, she also won 14 women’s doubles and two mixed singles titles.
How many Wimbledon titles has Serena Williams won? Angelique Kerber, 7-5, 6-3. The 22nd major championship of Williams’ career, tied with Graf for No. 2 on the all-time list. It was Williams’ seventh Wimbledon crown. 14.
Who won the most Grand Slams in tennis?
| A player | Total | Wimbledon |
|---|---|---|
| Rafael Nadal | 22 | 2 |
| Novak Djokovic | 21 | 7 |
| Roger Federer | 20 | 8 |
| Pete Sampras | 14 | 7 |
Has Serena Williams won all four Grand Slams?
The result was 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-4. That made Serena the fifth woman to win all four Grand Slam titles at once, adding to her wins at the 2002 French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Open.
When did Serena Williams last win a Grand Slam?
Williams won 23 majors during her career. She first came in 1999 when she was just 17 years, 11 months and 16 days old. Recently, she won the 2017 Australian Open at the age of 35.
