Source: Luis Alberto Rodriguez / Vogue
Serena Williams will go down in sports history as one of the greatest tennis players to ever grace the courts, and it appears that her time in the game is coming to an end. Via a recent op-ed piece, the legendary athlete shared that she’ll soon retire from tennis in order to pursue other goals.
Serena Williams penned an op-ed piece for Vogue laying out her plans to step away from the game while also contemplating growing her family with her husband, Alexis Ohanian. While Williams, 40, is reluctant to use the word retirement, it’s clear she is looking beyond to other ventures and doing so on her terms.
Source: Vaughn Ridley / GettyFrom Vogue:
But I’ve been reluctant to admit to myself or anyone else that I have to move on from playing tennis. Alexis, my husband, and I have hardly talked about it; it’s like a taboo topic. I can’t even have this conversation with my mom and dad. It’s like it’s not real until you say it out loud. It comes up, I get an uncomfortable lump in my throat, and I start to cry. The only person I’ve really gone there with is my therapist! One thing I’m not going to do is sugarcoat this. I know that a lot of people are excited about and look forward to retiring, and I really wish I felt that way.
While Willams is certainly having a bit of a struggle with letting go of the sport she’s played since a young girl, she is positioning herself to become more than Serena Williams, the tennis star. With 23 Grand Slam titles and dozens more to her credit, there is no doubt that Serena Williams will live on as an inspiration to other young girls of all backgrounds that wish to take up the sport.
Read the full op-ed here.
—
Photo:
1.
Serena Williams top 5 best athletes to ever do it. Across all sports.
— HOOD VOGUE is tired of poverty (@keyon) August 9, 2022
2.
One Love Serena Williams pic.twitter.com/YuVNId6QWk
— Shoutout To The Broke Bloggers (@3LMthree) August 9, 2022
3.
Serena Williams announces she will retire from tennis after the upcoming U.S. Open.
A 23-time major champion and 319 weeks as the number 1 WTA player, including 186 consecutive weeks.
The
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) August 9, 2022
4.
Some play the game. Others change it.
We hope the next few weeks bring you joy, @serenawilliams
pic.twitter.com/kuS6O87wI4
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) August 9, 2022
5.
Serena Williams won the Australian Open while two months pregnant. The GOAT conversation was over the moment she did that.
— Charlotte Clymer
(@cmclymer) August 9, 2022
6.
Wow.. what a ride Serena Williams took us all on… I'm glad I was a witness…. can't wait to see what's next… #ThankYouSerena
pic.twitter.com/iAw6ApAIAn
— LizzLocker (@Lizzs_Lockeroom) August 9, 2022
7.
Oh, this is really, hitting now
Love u forever @serenawilliams pic.twitter.com/mc0Ynv1xwm
— Marty (@Svitoflopina) August 9, 2022
8.
BREAKING: Serena Williams announced that she will retire from tennis after the US Open.
Greatest of all time.
— BrooklynDad_Defiant!
(@mmpadellan) August 9, 2022
9.
The Serena Williams era will continue long after she retires. Her victories(and losses) will still be replayed for years. The new champs won’t be able to escape comparisons to her.
Serena Williams will remain present long after she’s gone.
— Andrew Atkinson (@atkinsonfasho) August 9, 2022
10.
there is no greater american sports story than venus and serena williams. but you can't accurately tell that story with american propaganda, you can only tell it with the full truth of a clean mirror. so people will talk of tom brady and others, but serena conquered the world.
— ugh (@838_carlisle) August 9, 2022
11.
Gonna be in my feelings all day about Serena Williams but the biggest one is gonna be Gratitude. Thank you to the most high for letting me be here to witness the legacy of the greatest athlete to ever grace this planet. What an extraordinary human
— Sandra
(@SandHerrera_) August 9, 2022
12.
Serena Williams deserved to play and retire on her own terms cause she owes us nothing. But hearing her story about what keeps her coming back And why ultimately she’s leaving has me
. To choose between two fulfilling parts of your life b/c of physical limitations is so hard.
— Elle Duncan (@elleduncanESPN) August 9, 2022



(@cmclymer) 


(@mmpadellan) 


(@SandHerrera_)
. To choose between two fulfilling parts of your life b/c of physical limitations is so hard.