Serena Williams is an all-time great who loved to break records during her prime time but now faces the reality that caused her to take a sabbatical from her tennis career.
Serena Williams retirement from tennis comes as a shock to the fans because she had stated that she will probably give up the sport after Wimbledon in order to spend more time with her billionaire husband Alexis Ohanian, CEO of Reddit, and Olympia, her 5-year-old daughter.
Why did Serena Williams retirement come as a surprise to Federer?
Serena Williams isn’t quite ready to retire from tennis, and Roger Federer is pleading with her to “please return.” Williams revealed last month that the US Open would be the last tournament of her storied career.
She turned back the years at Flushing Meadows with two remarkable wins over Danka Kovinic and No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit. Each match grabbed international notice. On Friday night, she challenged Ajla Tomljanovic to another thrilling comeback, but she was unable to pull it off since she lost the deciding third set.
Many legendary athletes paid tribute to the legendary tennis player as Williams bid her farewell at Arthur Ashe Stadium, causing tears to flow all around. Federer, perhaps the biggest name in the men’s game, hasn’t competed on the ATP Tour since Wimbledon last year. For many years, he has performed with Williams.
They share a close bond both on and off the court. Federer paid respect to Williams in a video released on social media before the match on Friday night. Williams was begged to “please return” to tennis in some manner by the Swiss tennis master.
Federer, a 20-time grand slam champion, said: “I wanted to congratulate you on a most fantastic career.” You are aware of your accomplishments. I am aware of what you did. You understand what it is; it is truly amazing.
Roger also added, “I know it’s probably with mixed feelings you’re leaving this wonderful sport that has given you everything and more. I wish you all the best with your family. I think back at ’99 at the US Open when you played Martina Hingis, I stayed up late to watch you battle it out as that was the beginning to your incredible career that you’ve had ever since.
Standing ovations were offered to Williams by the US Open crowd, and she had trouble speaking during a post-match interview on the court. God, oh God! I greatly appreciate it. You guys blew me away today. I did. Simply put, Ajla played slightly better. I’m grateful, Daddy. I am aware of your presence. Regards, Mom. My God,” she exclaimed.
