Serena Williams, 40, reveals she will retire from tennis after US Open to try for a second baby with billionaire husband: ‘It’s the hardest thing I could ever imagine, but at same time I’m ready for what’s next’
By Alex Raskin Sports News Editor For Dailymail.com and Associated Press
*Serena Williams has announced she is retiring from tennis, although she is not giving a firm date for her exit
*The 40-year-old Williams still hopes to play at the US Open in New York later this month .
*Williams wants to spend more time with her five-year-old, Olympia, and her husband, Alexis Ohanian.
*They’re trying to have a second child, and she doesn’t want to try to come back from another pregnancy.
*The announcement comes following her first win of the season, a two-set victory at the National Bank Open.
Serena Williams is stepping away from tennis after the upcoming US Open, although she’s not quite ready to put a firm date on it or say the word ‘retirement.’
‘I have never liked the word,’ Williams wrote in the latest issue of Vogue. ‘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,’ she continued. ‘I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me.’
Those ‘other things,’ she explained, are business and family.
For starters, Williams not only wants to spend more time with her husband, Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian, and their five-year-old, Olympia, but the 23-time Grand Slam singles winner is hoping for another child.
‘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,’ Williams wrote. ‘I definitely don’t want to be pregnant again as an athlete. I need to be two feet into tennis or two feet out.’
And then there are Williams’ copious business interests, including her own venture capital firm, Serena Ventures, which raised a reported inaugural fund of $111 million last March. Furthermore, she and sister Venus are both minority owners of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, she’s part owner of a National Women’s Soccer League Team, and she has her own sustainable clothing line, S by Serena.
Furthermore, she has her seemingly endless list of endorsement deals: Aston Martin, IBM, Pepsi, Delta Air Lines, Gatorade and Chase Bank to name only a few.
In addition to her family, Serena Williams is also stepping away to pay more attention to her many business interests
But Williams isn’t simply focusing on business to make more money. She’s already worth more than $260 million, personally, according to Forbes, and she happens to be married to a billionaire in Ohanian.
Rather, Williams wants to create more business opportunities for women.
‘A few years ago, I was at a conference organized by JPMorgan Chase, where I watched a talk between Jamie Dimon and Caryn Seidman-Becker, the CEO of the security company Clear,’ Williams wrote. ‘Caryn explained that less than 2 percent of all VC money went to women. I figured that she misspoke. I thought, There’s no way that 98 percent of that capital is going to men. I approached her afterward, and she confirmed it. I kind of understood then and there that someone who looks like me needs to start writing the big checks.’
The decision to step away was inevitable for Williams, who has not won a major singles tournament since the 2017 Australian Open, but that doesn’t make it any easier. Were she a man, weighing business and competition would be much simpler.
‘Believe me, I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family,’ she wrote. ‘I don’t think it’s fair. If I were a guy, I wouldn’t be writing this because I’d be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labor of expanding our family. Maybe I’d be more of a Tom Brady if I had that opportunity.
‘A lot of people don’t realize that I was two months pregnant when I won the Australian Open in 2017,’ she continued. ‘But I’m turning 41 this month, and something’s got to give.’
Alexis Ohanian, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. and Serena Williams at the King Richard premiere last November in Los Angeles.
Serena Williams of the US with her daughter Alexis Olympia after her win against Jessica Pegula of the US during their women’s singles final match during the Auckland Classic tennis tournament in Auckland on January 12, 2020.
Williams is not quitting immediately. For starters, she’s currently playing in a tournament in Toronto, and actually just won her first match in 430 days on Monday after battling health issues for much of the past few seasons. And as she revealed in her piece, Williams is still hopeful she can play at the US Open in New York later this month. She’s also committed to playing at next week’s Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.
‘Unfortunately I wasn’t ready to win Wimbledon this year,’ she wrote. ‘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.’
And Williams isn’t looking for the kind of ‘farewell’ tour that many male athletes have enjoyed before their imminent retirements. Instead, the younger half of the famed Williams Sisters thanked fans in her piece and admitted that she’s going to miss the game.
‘But I’m not looking for some ceremonial, final on-court moment,’ she continued. ‘I’m terrible at goodbyes, the world’s worst. But please know that I am more grateful for you than I can ever express in words. You have carried me to so many wins and so many trophies. I’m going to miss that version of me, that girl who played tennis. And I’m going to miss you.’
40-year-old Williams has not won a Grand Slam since the 2017 Australian Open, and has been chasing her 24th major singles championship to draw her even with Margaret Court on the all-time leaderboard.
Williams doesn’t deny that the record is meaningful, but she took the time to put it in perspective for Vogue.
‘There are people who say I’m not the GOAT because I didn’t pass Margaret Court’s record of 24 grand slam titles, which she achieved before the ”open era” that began in 1968,’ she wrote. ‘I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want that record. Obviously I do. But day to day, I’m really not thinking about her. If I’m in a grand slam final, then yes, I am thinking about that record. Maybe I thought about it too much, and that didn’t help.
‘The way I see it, I should have had 30-plus grand slams,’ she continued. ‘I had my chances after coming back from giving birth. I went from a C-section to a second pulmonary embolism to a grand slam final. I played while breastfeeding. I played through postpartum depression. But I didn’t get there. Shoulda, woulda, coulda. I didn’t show up the way I should have or could have. But I showed up 23 times, and that’s fine. Actually it’s extraordinary. But these days, if I have to choose between building my tennis résumé and building my family, I choose the latter.’
SERENA’S TIMELINE
1999: Defeated Martina Hingis in the U.S. Open final, becoming the first African-American woman to win a Grand Slam singles title after Althea Gibson in 1958.
2001: Failed to make another major final until 2001, when she lost the U.S. Open title clash to sister Venus.
2002-03: Missed the 2002 Australian Open due to injury and then embarked on an incredible run that included winning five of the next six Slams and losing in the 2003 French Open semis.
2004-07: Career was affected by injury, but she still won Australian Open titles in 2005 and 2007.
2008-09: Won the 2008 U.S. Open to break her Grand Slam drought before claiming the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles the following year.
2010: Joined Billie-Jean King on the all-time Grand Slam list in sixth with her 12th major at the Australian Open. Missed the U.S. Open over medical complications after cutting her foot on glass while celebrating her Wimbledon win.
2011: Underwent surgery after a life-threatening blood clot was detected on her lung. Made the U.S. Open final but lost to Australia’s Sam Stosur.
2012: Won Wimbledon in 2012 and followed that with Olympic gold on the same grass courts, beating top seed Victoria Azarenka in the semi-finals and third seed Maria Sharapova in final… Won her fourth U.S. Open title, beating Azarenka in the final.
2013: Won her second Roland Garros crown in 2013, one of 10 titles she lifted that year to reclaim the world’s top ranking. Added another U.S. Open title to her collection.
2014: Claimed seven titles, including her sixth U.S. Open, which was her third in succession, to join compatriots Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova on 18 Grand Slam wins.
2015: Beat Maria Sharapova in the 2015 Australian Open final to secure her 19th Grand Slam title. Despite battling flu, won a third successive major and 20th overall by overcoming Czech Lucie Safarova in the French Open final… Won the so-called ‘Serena Slam’ by winning a sixth Wimbledon crown to hold all four majors for the second time in her career. Seemed poised to secure a calendar Grand Slam at the 2015 U.S. Open but lost to Italy’s Roberta Vinci in semi-final.
2016: Lost the 2016 Australian Open final and was denied again in the French Open final before winning Wimbledon for the seventh time, drawing level with Steffi Graf on 22 majors.
2017: Won her seventh Australian Open title in 2017 to go ahead of Graf with the most Grand Slam singles titles in the open era. Australia’s Margaret Court won 24 but the majority came in the amateur era.
2018-19: Faltered in the finals of Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in both years after returning to tennis following the birth of her daughter Olympia a year earlier.
2021-22: Did not play competitive tennis since limping out of her opening match at Wimbledon in 2021 due to a leg injury. Returned to Wimbledon this year but lost in the first round… Announced her intention to retire following this year’s U.S. Open.
– Reuters
Born in Saginaw, Michigan to Oracene Price and Richard Williams, Serena initially grew up in Compton, California – an LA suburb that was once synonymous with crime but has since become known for producing two of the greatest tennis players in history.
Venus and Serena Williams famously played on local courts, where they were taught by Richard – a tennis novice, who immersed himself in the game in his mission to propel his daughters to on-court success.
Like all tennis families, the Williams clan made the pilgrimage to Florida to help the girls develop. Serena was nine at the time, and quickly became the top-ranked player under the age of 10 in what was, and remains, a largely white sport.
While the family members say they faced racism on the amateur circuit, Venus and Serena appeared unbothered. They would become pros in their early teens and endorsement deals followed soon thereafter.
Then, beginning in 1999, the pair emerged as the sport’s biggest stars.
First Serena won the US Open at 18 by beating World No. 1 Martina Hingis. Venus followed with Wimbledon and US Open victories of her own in 2000 and 2001 before Serena finally secured the top ranking in 2002 by winning in Paris, London, and New York, before capturing her first Australian Open victory in 2003.
In total, the two have combined to win 30 major single titles, not to mention Olympic gold medals for singles and doubles, where they remain among the greatest teams in tennis history.
Both Venus and Serena have fallen victim to age and injury in recent years, though. The former hasn’t won a major since Wimbledon in 2008, while the latter has been shut out since Australia in 2017, which happened to coincide with the birth of her daughter, Olympia.
She’s won titles since giving birth, but continued to battle leg injuries and was forced to drop out of one tournament after another.
In fact, much of her year has been spent promoting a movie about her father, titled King Richard, which garnered several awards and somehow resulted in Will Smith slapping Oscars host Chris Rock.
The announcement comes, strangely enough, after her first win in 430 days.
‘I’m just happy to get a win,’ Williams said Monday after beating Nuria Parrizas-Diaz 6-3, 6-4 at the women’s National Bank Open in Toronto. ‘It’s been a very long time, I forgot what that felt like.’
It’s just the second tournament of the season for the 40-year-old Williams, who returned to competition at Wimbledon just over a month ago. The 23-time Grand Slam champion fell in the first round to Harmony Tan in three sets at the All England Club.
Before then, she last competed at the 2021 Wimbledon tournament, where she retired in the middle of her first match due to a torn hamstring suffered after slipping on the grass surface.
Williams, who will turn 41 at the end of September, will next face either 12th-ranked Belinda Bencic or Tereza Martincova.
She’s won this tournament three times and reached the final in her last appearance at the hardcourt event in 2019, losing to Bianca Andreescu when she was forced to stop because of injury.
But Williams has played little since and knows she needs time on the court.
‘I feel good, I felt like I competed well today. I think that’s what I needed to do, is just compete,’ she said. ‘Mentally, I’m getting there. I’m not where I normally am (or) where I want to be. Any match I play, whether I win or lose, helps me.
‘I haven’t played a lot in the last year, (even) two years. I think that helps me physically. I feel much better in practice, it’s just getting that to the court. Literally, I’m the kind of person (where) it takes one or two things and then it clicks.’
Williams started out strong, taking the first two games with relative ease.
Parrizas-Diaz tied it 2-2, but despite ‘ struggles at certain points, the 31-year-old Spaniard couldn’t find enough of a consistent flow to get ahead. Williams found her rhythm, mixing solid touch with her signature power and putting shot after shot out of Parrizas-Diaz’s reach.
Williams’ effort had the fans on their feet roaring and some even bowing.
She won the final three games to take the first set, then surged ahead in the second after the 57th-ranked Parrizas-Diaz took a 4-3 lead. She endured a nine-deuce game to hold serve and even the set, then broke in the next game before serving out the victory.
While Williams says the end of her remarkable career is in sight, she’s enjoying her time and staying in the moment.
‘I’m getting closer to the light. Lately, that’s been it, I can’t wait to get to that light,’ she said, adding the light represents ‘freedom.’
‘I love playing though, it’s amazing,’ she added. ‘I can’t do this forever, so sometimes you just want to try your best to enjoy the moments and do the best that you can.’
The official Twitter feed for Wimbledon posted this message Tuesday above a photo of Williams: ‘Some play the game. Others change it.’
‘I don’t particularly like to think about my legacy. I get asked about it a lot, and I never know exactly what to say. But I’d like to think that thanks to opportunities afforded to me, women athletes feel that they can be themselves on the court,’ Williams wrote. ‘They can play with aggression and pump their fists. They can be strong yet beautiful. They can wear what they want and say what they want and kick butt and be proud of it all.’
Wimbledon wasn’t the only one paying tribute to Williams on Tuesday.
Adoring and emotional fans took time to pay tribute to the American superstar with many thanking her for what she has done
One put it simply, writing: ‘Thank you @serenawilliams for everything,’ with another adding: ‘We love you, @serenawilliams – thanks for all you have given us. Excited for your next chapter.’
Meanwhile, one fan could not hold in the emotion as he admitted to ‘sobbing’ at the news. ‘A beautiful photo to be sure. I’m not sure everyone’s ready for the reading material though. I’m not crying – I’m sobbing. It’s different.’
Williams not only wants to spend more time with her husband, Alexis, and their five-year-old, Olympia, but the 23-time Grand Slam singles winner revealed that the couple is trying to have another child in the near future.
‘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,’ Williams wrote. ‘I definitely don’t want to be pregnant again as an athlete. I need to be two feet into tennis or two feet out.’
Williams’ swansong could be at the US Open at Flushing Meadows later this month.
In a post on her Instagram page Tuesday, she said: ‘There comes a time in life when we have to decide to move in a different direction. 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 discovery a different, just exciting Serena.
‘I’m gonna relish these next few weeks.’
Alexis Ohanian, left, and Serena Williams arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills. The couple is now hoping to have a second child together