New York, Aug 27 : Boyzone were top of the charts, and more than one quarter of the top 100 women were not born at the time Serena Williams made her US Open debut in 1994.
Already a star in developing at the age of 16, Williams has been the talk of tennis since then and will be honored in the same way at Flushing Meadows, as she will mark the conclusion of one of the greatest sporting careers, according to DPA.
A just a few weeks shy of her birthday, and determined to try to have an additional baby, Williams has decided, reluctantly, that it is the best time to put down her tennis racquet.
While she has played infrequently over the past few years and women such as Naomi Osaka, Ashleigh Barty and Iga Swiatek have fought for their place to be at the top of the sport, Williams remained the alpha female of the tour.her departure will create an inexplicably gap.
The majority of her competitors in New York have known only tennis with Williams in it.
Former US Open finalist Madison Keys revealed to the PA news agency: “I grew up watching Serena I was a huge fan of her for a lifetime and having the opportunity to play her numerous times during the tour they remain the best of the most unforgettable games I’ve played, and they could also prove to be the most memorable of the most memorable experiences I’ve experienced on the tennis court.
“I’m going to be sad to see her playing tennis , but I think she’ll continue to be awe-inspiring.
“She does not want to use the term retirement, and I’m not planning to use the term retirement, I believe it’s simply changing into the next phase of her life.I believe that, like with all the things she does it will be incredibly successful and amazing.”
Alongside her commitments to her family, Williams has several business ventures including an investment firm that is likely to be at the center of what she will do next.
Williams made her announcement in an extensive and thoughtful article in Vogue earlier in the month, but has kept her profile as low as she can since.
She acknowledged that she isn’t a fan of goodbyes.And, following an emotional goodbye in Toronto, she walked quickly off the court following an uncontested defeat against Emma Raducanu in Cincinnati last week.
Williams practices in New York so far have given some hope that she will be able to perform at the highest level when she will face Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic in the first round.
“It’s going to be difficult for everyone and it’s difficult to be a player when you realize this is the last time,” Martina Navratilova told PA.”I feel for her.It was a struggle getting the tennis racquet out of my bag of racquets for those final matches I played.I hope it’s an enjoyable conclusion.”
Williams is pursuing of the unattainable 24th grand slam singles title that would join her with Margaret Court at the top of the charts of all time is a major reason in her playing for this long.
The fantasy of an ideal ending is to be a bit unrealistic, however Williams appears to have come to peace with the notion that she has accomplished more than enough .The present group of American women represent a testament to her enormous influence.
Twelve of the top 100 players are American and women’s tennis in particular has a more diverse field of play than the day in 1998 when a black woman from Compton began her New York journey.
“You don’t even need to mention her name Everyone is aware of Serena,” added Keys.”If you ask 15 girls about why they began playing tennis, perhaps all of them will say it’s due to of her.She’s bound leave a lasting impression that people will talk about for years to come.”
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