Serena Played Her Final Professional Tennis Match, And Fans Are In Awe Of Her Epic Career
Greatest to ever do it.
Serena Williams ended her triumphant 27-year tennis career on Friday, Sept. 2 with a match against Australia’s Ajla Tomljanović in the 2022 US Open, and although the game didn’t go how she might have liked, it was still instantly iconic and had everyone celebrating her impressive career. She lost the three-set match, but she won the hearts of her fans who showed their support both in the stadium and across social media. An outpouring of love from icons like Michelle Obama and Bill Gates, to sports legends Billie Jean King and Tiger Woods, were among the many fans who tweeted their support for Williams. You might need to grab a box of tissues for these emotional tweets about Williams’ final tennis match.
Her last match was an exciting and emotional three hours that ended with Williams in happy tears as she gave a teary-eyed post-match interview. "It's been a fun ride. It's been the most incredible ride and journey I've ever been on in my life,” she said. After 23 grand slam titles, Williams is hanging up her racket and saying farewell to the courts. Even at the end, she teased fans with the potential of a future comeback when she said, “I don’t think so but you never know,” when asked if she would reconsider her retirement.
The tennis superstar announced her retirement from the sport less than a month before her last game. In an Aug. 9 Vogue feature, Williams cited her desire to focus on family and building her company Serena Ventures as the reasons she’s stepping away from professional athletics. She thanked her family in her post-match interview. “It all started with my parents, and they deserve everything so I’m really grateful for them,” she said. “I wouldn’t be Serena if it wasn’t for Venus. So, thank you, Venus. She’s the only reason Serena Williams ever existed.”
Williams played three matches in her final US Open. Her five-year-old daughter Olympia stole the show at Williams’ first match where she an outfit that matched her mom’s and had her hair in beads as a nod to her mother’s first singles Grand Slam win at the 1999 US Open. Williams’ husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, was also there to cheer on his wife and he tweeted, “All heart. So much love,” after her last match. Ohanian wasn’t the only one inspired to share how much Williams’ career has inspired them — Twitter lit up with touching messages about Williams after her final match.
After 27 years as the tennis GOAT, Williams has more than earned some time to relax with her family as she embarks on her next chapter. And while she looks forward, fans across the globe are inspired to look back at just how monumental her tennis career was.
