Serena Williams to retire from tennis after 23 Grand Slams

Serena Williams, the American tennis star, says she will retire from tennis after playing in the US Open beginning later this month.

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion revealed her retirement plans in a chat with Vogue on Tuesday.

The 40-year-old said she is “evolving away from tennis, and toward other things that are important to me.”

Williams also said she plans to spend more time with Olympia, her daughter, and Alexis Ohanian, her husband, following a glittering globe-trotting career.

“I have never liked the word retirement. It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me. I’ve been thinking of this as a transition but I want to be sensitive about how I use that word, which means something very specific and important to a community of people,” Williams said.

“Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution. I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me.

“I’ve been reluctant to admit that I have to move on from playing tennis. It’s like a taboo topic. It comes up, and I start to cry. I think the only person I’ve really gone there with is my therapist.

“Unfortunately I wasn’t ready to win Wimbledon this year. 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 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.”

The announcement came a day after she won her first singles match in 430 days. She defeated Nuria Parrizas at the National Bank Open in Toronto.

Since Williams became a professional tennis player in 1995, she has won seven Wimbledon titles, seven Australian Opens, six US Opens, and three French Opens. Her last major triumph came at Melbourne Park in 2017.

She is also one Grand Slam shy of a 24th that would bring her level with Margaret Court’s record for most majors.

The 2022 US Open is billed to serve off on August 29.