Serena likely suffers career-ending loss at US Open

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Serena Williams suffered a likely career-ending loss when she was knocked out of the US Open on Friday by Australian Ajla Tomljanovic.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion and six-time New York champion lost her third-round clash 7-5, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1.

Williams, who turns 41 in three weeks, had said she remained "vague" about her retirement plans, but without a major title since 2017, her 27-year career was now almost certainly over. Williams looks forward to 'different Serena'

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion said afterwards that while she was happy with her performance in New York, she was already considering her life after tennis.

"It takes a lot of hard work to get here. Obviously I'm still capable," Williams said. "It takes a lot more than that.

"I'm ready to be a mom, to explore another version of Serena.

"Technically in the world, I'm still super young, so I want to have some life while I'm still walking."

While Williams said she hopes to stay involved in tennis to some degree, in the short term she plans to spend more time with her 5-year-old daughter Olympia.

"It's been very hard for her, my career," she said. "So it will be nice to do that and spend time with her, doing things that I've never really done or never had the opportunity to do."

Williams admitted, however, that she wasn't sure what role tennis would play in her life.

"I've had so many amazing moments that I can't see a future without them," she said. “What is my involvement? I have no idea."

Williams stopped short of finally announcing her retirement and once again deflected the question of whether there was "wiggle room" in her apparent desire to hang up her racquet.

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"I don't think about that. I've always loved Australia, though," she joked, referring to next January's Australian Open, a tournament she won seven times.

Earlier, Williams poured it all in a final fight in front of a fiercely partisan crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium during his three-hour battle with Tomljanovic.

After leveling the game in a marathon 1:23 second set, the veteran's resistance was finally broken in the third set as Tomljanovic took a 5-1 lead.

Even then, Williams summoned every last drop of his fighting spirit to try and avoid defeat, saving five match points in game seven before finally succumbing.

Afterwards, Williams waved to the crowd, getting elated as Tina Turner's anthem "Simply the Best" rang out from the stands.

"It was a fun ride," Williams said. "It was the most amazing run and trip I've ever been on, I mean, in my life.

"I'm so grateful to everyone who has ever said 'Come on, Serena' in their lives. You brought me here."

Williams reserved special praise for her parents Richard Williams and Oracene Price who put her and her older sister Venus on the path to tennis stardom.

"It all started with my parents," Williams said. "They deserve it all."

AFP