- Serena Williams has hinted at tennis comeback
- She retired shortly after the 2022 U.S Open
- She lost in the third round to Ajla Tomljanovic
Celebrated American tennis player Serena Williams has hinted at a comeback a few months after retiring.
The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion sobbed inconsolably during what was reportedly her final match at the 2022 US Open. Williams, 41, now asserts that she will not give up tennis.
Speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco, TMZ reports that she expressly said that she is not retired yet. After that, Williams was asked if she expected to return to the tennis court.
She retorted that the possibilities are great. She added in jest to the interviewer that they are welcome to her home because she has a court where they could play.
In August, The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion said it would be an evolution for her to be away from the sport. The word “retirement” was never one she cared for.
Serena Williams U.S Open defeat. Photo/Sky Sports
She told Vogue in an exclusive interview that ‘evolution’ might be the word that best describes what she is doing. Ideally, Williams said that her priorities are shifting away from tennis and toward other things.
Then, she said that the 2022 U.S Open would be her last major before taking a bow. In the end, she was defeated by Ajla Tomljanovic 7-5 6-7 (4) 6-1 in the third round at Flushing Meadows, and she sobbed uncontrollably.
Since then, Williams says that she is still adjusting to the thought of not playing tennis. Williams has spent much of the off-court time in the past three years planning for the day she decided to move on. This includes establishing a venture capitalist company (Serena Ventures) and investing in a number of different organizations.
On the other hand, she stated that she plans to have more children after retirement, which is a major factor in her decision to hang her rackets. In 2017, Williams became a mother for the first time to a baby girl named Alexis Olympia.
She said that it was a huge gamble to continue picking tennis at the expense of her family. Nevertheless, she admitted that it was hard deciding to retire.
Serena Williams at US Open. Photo/CBS Sports
“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,” she told Vogue.
She has maintained one of the longest careers in the history of the sport, second only to her 42-year-old sister Venus in spite of her many hobbies outside of tennis that she has enjoyed since she was a child.
Williams made numerous recoveries from dire situations, including twice recovering from pulmonary embolisms. Williams started pro at the age of 14 in 1995. She was a young superstar who won her first Grand Slam tournament when she was just 17.
Her first major victory came at the 1999 US Open. Williams went on to win won the Wimbledon and Australian Open seven times each. Additionally, she won the French Open three times and the US Open six times.
She shared 14 Grand Slam doubles victories with her older sister Venus, 42, who is a three-time Grand Slam champion in singles.
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