Serena Williams Announces Retirement From Tennis

Serena Williams announced her retirement yesterday. She plans to “evolve” past tennis after the U.S. Open at the end of the month. Although she says, “I know that a lot of people are excited about and look forward to retiring, and I wish I felt that way.”

It only seems fitting then that after starting this tennis journey in Canada, she would announce her career is coming to an end in Canada.

Williams is on the September cover of Vogue, where she penned an essay for the magazine.  “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,” she explains.

What’s next for Serena Williams? Serena and her husband have been trying for a second baby, “In the last year, Alexis and I have been trying to have another child, and we recently got some information from my doctor that put my mind at ease and made me feel that whenever we’re ready, we can add to our family.  I definitely don’t want to be pregnant again as an athlete.  I need to be two feet into tennis or two feet out.”

Serena holds 23 Slam singles titles, she has another 14 Slam doubles titles and two mixed doubles titles to her name — that includes six U.S. Open championships, seven Australian Open titles, four Olympic gold medals and Wimbledon doubles titles. 

Now Canadian tennis fans get one last chance to serenade and celebrate the 23-time Grand Slam singles winner.