Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam champion who has been the face of tennis since successful her first U.S. Open in 1999, mentioned Tuesday that she deliberate to retire from the game after taking part in as soon as extra within the event, which begins later this month.
Williams, who way back transcended her sport as a dominant cultural determine, mentioned in an as-told-to cowl story for Vogue that she has “by no means favored the phrase retirement,” and most popular the phrase “evolution” to explain her subsequent steps. “I’m evolving away from tennis, towards different issues which are essential to me,” together with working together with her enterprise capital agency and rising her household.
Williams mentioned that she and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, deliberate to have one other little one.
“Within the final 12 months, Alexis and I’ve been attempting to have one other little one, and we just lately received some info from my physician that put my thoughts comfy and made me really feel that at any time when we’re prepared, we will add to our household. I positively don’t need to be pregnant once more as an athlete. I have to be two ft into tennis or two ft out.”
Williams, whose final Grand Slam event victory got here whereas she was pregnant in the course of the Australian Open in 2017, was eradicated from Wimbledon in June within the first spherical.
“Sadly I wasn’t able to win Wimbledon this 12 months,” Williams mentioned. “And I don’t know if I will probably be able to win New York. However I’m going to strive. And the lead-up tournaments will probably be enjoyable.”
Williams has gained almost $100 million in prize cash.
It is a growing story and will probably be up to date.