NEW YORK: Serena Williams said she was “remaining vague” about her planned retirement from tennis after reaching the U.S. Open second round on Monday.
“I’ve been pretty vague about that, haven’t I? I’ll stay vague because you never know,” the 40-year-old said after beating Danka Kovinic 6-3, 6-3 .
Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, said earlier this month she was “getting away” from tennis and “the countdown” was on for her retirement after 27 years as a professional.
Before Monday, the former world number one had won just one match on tour all year and had seen her ranking slip to 605.
This kind of form prompted her to reveal that she was on the verge of retirement and hint that this US Open would be her farewell.
However, the guessing game over his concrete plans for his future continued on Monday with mixed messages delivered on the pitch and then at his post-match press conference.
“It was such a difficult decision,” Williams told her on-the-spot interviewer when asked about her original reveal reveal in an essay for Vogue magazine.
“I think when you’re passionate about something, it’s always hard to let go,” she said.
“I tried to decide what to do. I love this game.
She added: “I think now is the time. I have a family and there are other chapters in life. I call it evolution.”
“It’s like Serena 2.0. I’ll always be crazy, I’ll always be intense. I’ll always be here. But I can’t wait to wake up and not have to run on a tennis court.”
On Monday, Williams, who took to the court in a diamond-encrusted black dress and jacket that shimmered under the lights, overcame a nervous first game for a service grab.
The American star got the crowd going with a 2-0 break, chasing down a clean drawstring to hit a winner.
Kovinic, the world number 80, had a solid year at the Grand Slams, reaching the third round of the Australian and French Open.
The 27-year-old fought back with her own break and took the lead for 3-2.
However, Williams buried the number of errors – she committed six double faults in the first set – equalized and then ran away with the next three games to win the first set.
Another break for 3-2 came in the second set following hard shots from the back of the court.
A love service game gave the American a 5-3 lead and a final break of the night gave her the win.
She celebrated with a little jig on the baseline and a broad smile, much to the delight of a crowd that included the likes of tennis legend Martina Navratilova, former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and the former US President Bill Clinton.
The crowd held up cards to spell out “Serena, we love you.”
Next up for Williams is a second-round clash against No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit of Estonia on Wednesday.
“I’ve been pretty vague about that, haven’t I? I’ll stay vague because you never know,” the 40-year-old said after beating Danka Kovinic 6-3, 6-3 .
Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, said earlier this month she was “getting away” from tennis and “the countdown” was on for her retirement after 27 years as a professional.
Before Monday, the former world number one had won just one match on tour all year and had seen her ranking slip to 605.
This kind of form prompted her to reveal that she was on the verge of retirement and hint that this US Open would be her farewell.
However, the guessing game over his concrete plans for his future continued on Monday with mixed messages delivered on the pitch and then at his post-match press conference.
“It was such a difficult decision,” Williams told her on-the-spot interviewer when asked about her original reveal reveal in an essay for Vogue magazine.
“I think when you’re passionate about something, it’s always hard to let go,” she said.
“I tried to decide what to do. I love this game.
She added: “I think now is the time. I have a family and there are other chapters in life. I call it evolution.”
“It’s like Serena 2.0. I’ll always be crazy, I’ll always be intense. I’ll always be here. But I can’t wait to wake up and not have to run on a tennis court.”
On Monday, Williams, who took to the court in a diamond-encrusted black dress and jacket that shimmered under the lights, overcame a nervous first game for a service grab.
The American star got the crowd going with a 2-0 break, chasing down a clean drawstring to hit a winner.
Kovinic, the world number 80, had a solid year at the Grand Slams, reaching the third round of the Australian and French Open.
The 27-year-old fought back with her own break and took the lead for 3-2.
However, Williams buried the number of errors – she committed six double faults in the first set – equalized and then ran away with the next three games to win the first set.
Another break for 3-2 came in the second set following hard shots from the back of the court.
A love service game gave the American a 5-3 lead and a final break of the night gave her the win.
She celebrated with a little jig on the baseline and a broad smile, much to the delight of a crowd that included the likes of tennis legend Martina Navratilova, former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and the former US President Bill Clinton.
The crowd held up cards to spell out “Serena, we love you.”
Next up for Williams is a second-round clash against No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit of Estonia on Wednesday.
