For Williams, who made a comeback this year in Wimbledon after a break of almost a year, the circle closes at her home tournament in Flushing Meadows. In 1999, at the age of 17, the American won her first of a total of 23 Grand Slam titles. In addition to six times at the US Open, Williams also won seven times in Australia, seven times at Wimbledon and three times in Paris. In history, only Australia’s Margaret Court has more major wins, but she took the most before qualifying as a professional.
Nevertheless, Williams, who celebrates her 41st birthday at the end of September, now wants to concentrate on life away from the tennis court: on the one hand on her investment company and other companies, on the other hand on further family growth. “I wish tennis wasn’t over yet, but at the same time I’m ready for what’s coming,” Williams said, referring to the fact that it was time to “take a new direction”.
Futile record hunt
Williams has been chasing Court’s record in vain in recent years since her 23rd title at the Australia Open in Melbourne in 2017 and the birth of her daughter Olympia. The 40-year-old was in a final four times after her baby break, but was the loser each time. “I would be lying if I said I wouldn’t like the record. But maybe I thought about it too much and that didn’t help either. The way I see it, I should have more than 30 Grand Slam titles. I had my chances,” she said. “But I’ve been there 23 times, and that’s fine.”
Only on Monday evening did she win another match at the tournament in Toronto after 14 months and a lengthy injury break – after almost two hours with 6:3 6:4 against Nuria Parrizas Diaz from Spain. Although there is still a chance of breaking the record at the US Open, the tennis superstar says he no longer thinks about it. “It’s always hard to quit something you love – and God knows how much I enjoy tennis – but the countdown has now begun. I’m going to enjoy these next few weeks.”
She doesn’t believe that her career will end with a sporting fairy tale in the form of the 24th Grand Slam title, but she “will try,” Williams announced. If the US Open is over after the first round, like the tournament in Wimbledon, she doesn’t want a big ceremony. “I’m terrible at goodbyes, the worst in the world,” said the American, who will probably have to wrestle with her emotions when the moment comes: “I feel great pain. It’s the hardest thing I could ever imagine.”
