The Ending of an Era

On September 2, 2022 Serena Williams, one woman whose career changed the tennis  world forever, chose to hang up her racket for a final time at the age of forty. Williams’ final  match against 29-year-old Australian Ajla Tomljanović, in the women’s singles, occurred in the  U.S. Open in Arthur Ashe Stadium. This match lasted three hours and went on for three sets.  Williams’ match resulted in a loss, with the scores being: 7-5, 6-7, and 6-1. Williams made it to  the third round before her elimination. Williams’ legacy started at the age of fourteen and  outstandingly lasted twenty-six years. Williams’ career ended because she wanted to experience  something new and different with her family, “…I started a family. I want to grow that family.” Balancing tennis and family requires love, strength, and sacrifice, which Williams maintained for  the majority of her life. Williams views her retirement as an evolution towards new beginnings.  Williams believes that, as a woman and mother, facing the unwanted decision between sports  and family was unfair. In an article for Vogue magazine titled “Serena Williams Says Farewell to  Tennis On Her Own Terms—And In Her Own Words,“ she dives into her decision and how  different it would be if she was a man. “Believe me, I never wanted to have to choose between  tennis and a family. I don’t think it’s fair. If I were a guy, I wouldn’t be writing this because I’d  be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labor of expanding our  family.” Williams also wrote, “I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward  other things that are important to me. “ The 2022 Iconic twenty-three-time grand slam champion  has evolved and stepped into 2023 as a new version of herself, Serena Williams.