US tennis great Serena Williams announced on Tuesday that "the countdown has begun" to her retirement from the sport. "There comes a time in life when we have to decide to move in a different direction," the 40-year-old, 23-time Grand Slam winner said in a post on Instagram. "That time is always hard when you love something so much. My goodness do I enjoy tennis. But now, the countdown has begun. "I have to focus on being a mom, my spiritual goals and finally discovering a different, but just exciting Serena. I'm gonna relish these next few weeks."
Serena Williams Says 'Countdown' To Retirement Has Begun
Advertisement
"That time is always hard when you love something so much. My goodness do I enjoy tennis. But now, the countdown has begun," Serena Williams wrote.
Serena Williams is a winner of 23 grand slam singles titles© AFP
"I have never liked the word retirement. It doesn't feel like a modern word to me. I've been thinking of this as a transition, but I want to be sensitive about how I use that word, which means something very specific and important to a community of people. Maybe the best word to describe what I'm up to is evolution. I'm here to tell you that I'm evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me. A few years ago I quietly started Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm. Soon after that, I started a family. I want to grow that family," Serena wrote in a column for Vogue.
"Unfortunately I wasn't ready to win Wimbledon this year. And I don't know if I will be ready to win New York. But I'm going to try. And the lead-up tournaments will be fun. I know there's a fan fantasy that I might have tied Margaret that day in London, then maybe beat her record in New York, and then at the trophy ceremony say, 'See ya!' I get that. It's a good fantasy. "But I'm not looking for some ceremonial, final on-court moment. I'm terrible at goodbyes, the world's worst."
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Topics mentioned in this article
Advertisement
Get the Latest Cricket Updates, Check India Tour of Australia 2024-25, Results, News and IPL 2025 Mega Auction Updates at NDTV Sports. Like Us On Facebook Or Follow Us On Twitter For More Sports Updates. You Can Also Download The NDTV Cricket App For Android Or iOS.