[EN IMAGES] Moved, Serena Williams bids farewell to her Canadian fans

TORONTO | It was moved to tears that the great Serena Williams bade farewell to her Canadian fans, Wednesday evening at the National Bank Open, some 24 hours after announcing that she would be retiring in the coming weeks.

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“As I wrote in my article [paru dans le magazine Vogue mardi], I am terrible at goodbyes. But… goodbye Toronto,” the greatest player of all time told the crowd.

Williams wiped away tears a few times on the pitch in the minutes after her second-round loss, 6-2, 6-4, to Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic.

It is not customary in tennis to interview the loser of a match on the court. But this Wednesday evening was not a normal one.

As will be the case in each tournament that the American legend will play from now on, who has not announced the precise moment of his retirement, this meeting was an opportunity to honor the career of Williams, holder of 23 singles titles in Grand Slam.

“We love you, Serena!”

Flowers, a painting as well as Maple Leafs and Raptors jerseys were presented to him on the field. Under the applause nourished by a center full to bursting from which burst the “we love you, Serena!” and the “we will miss you!”

“I love you too!” Serena replied to the crowd.

Before the match, a tribute video featuring Billie Jean King, ex-champion and founder of the WTA, several current players and also Wayne Gretzky was shown on the stadium’s giant screen.

Fans rose to their feet to greet the queen of tennis as she entered the enclosure. The applause, then rather timid for this great moment, became deafening when the announcer introduced the winner of 73 WTA titles.

A heavy order

Williams, soon to be 41, had struggled in the first round on Monday against Spaniard Nurria Parrizas Diaz, 57^e world.

It was only her second match in 13 months, following an early loss at Wimbledon in late June.

This year of absence from the field, due to a leg injury suffered in 2021 at the All England Club, caused the ex-number 1 to fall out of the WTA rankings.

The match against Bencic, 12^e in the world and 15 years her junior, was therefore shaping up to be full-bodied.

And she was. Little in the legs, perhaps shaken by the last 24 hours which have been “special”, according to her own words, the American has multiplied the unforced errors.

But she also had a few moments of grace, especially on serve, where her first ball sometimes did damage as in her best years.

Williams also scored an ace from his first point of the game.

“Thank you from the heart”

Unimpressed by this great moment in which she was taking part, Bencic took advantage of her opponent’s largesse.

The Swiss broke Williams in the third game, on a completely missed second serve. She then easily spun with the sleeve.

“It was a special evening, Bencic pointed out at a press conference. It wasn’t just about tennis, it was about Serena and her career.”

“It’s never easy to face him. It’s like you still feel his aura, she continued. […] Of course I’m happy to have won, but I’m also a little sad. I don’t want her to retire.”

But to the delight of the 12,500 fans in the stadium, the second proved closer, with Serena holding on until the seventh game, when she lost her serve for the first time in the set.

A returned strike off the lines at 5-4 for Bencic then ended Williams’ tournament.

At the same time, she sounded the death knell of her career on Canadian soil, where she was titled on three occasions (2001, 2011 and 2013), each time in Toronto.

The final farewell could come at the US Open, which begins on September 29, and where Serena won her first major in 1999.

“The last hours have been emotionally charged, admitted the American. I’ve always loved playing here, in front of you. I wish I was better today.”

“But thanks. Thank you from the heart.”