“I’ve by no means appreciated the phrase retirement. It would not really feel like a contemporary phrase to me. I have been pondering of this as a transition, however I need to be delicate about how I take advantage of that phrase, which implies one thing very particular and vital to a neighborhood of individuals,” Williams stated within the Vogue article printed earlier this month.
“Perhaps the most effective phrase to explain what I am as much as is evolution. I am right here to inform you that I am evolving away from tennis, towards different issues which might be vital to me,” she stated.
At her post-match information convention Monday, Williams was requested if that is positively her final match.
“Yeah, I have been fairly imprecise about it, proper?” she stated with a smile. “I will keep imprecise since you by no means know.”
Williams additionally will open doubles play along with her sister Venus Williams on Wednesday.
The opening-round win over Kovinić was the most effective Serena Williams has seemed since making her comeback from harm. She has managed to win only one match since returning to the circuit in June and has been unable to get near the shape that helped her win her final grand slam title in 2017.
Whereas Williams was nonetheless a approach off that degree in Monday’s win over Kovinić, it’ll have definitely given her hope that her final dance on the US Open might be prolonged.
One of many best tennis gamers ever, Williams has received 23 grand slam singles titles and has received the US Open six occasions, most not too long ago in 2014. Now 40 years previous, Williams’ profession will come full circle as her last match — in whichever spherical that seems to be — is to be performed on the website of the primary of her grand slam singles wins, the 1999 US Open.
Then simply a teen, Williams burst onto the scene to stun world No. 1 Martina Hingis within the last and lay the primary stepping stone on her path to twenty years of dominance.
More durable take a look at this time round
In world No. 2 Kontaveit, nonetheless, Williams faces a a lot sterner take a look at within the second spherical and can undoubtedly be the underdog.
After Kontaveit received her first Tour-level title in 2017 her true breakout 12 months got here in 2021 as she received 4 WTA tournaments to rise via the rankings.
An aggressive participant with a different recreation and highly effective forehand, Kontaveit broke into the world’s high 10 for the primary time in November 2021 and has been a mainstay since.
She sits at a career-high rating of No. 2 — the best rating in historical past for an Estonian — and at age 26 will definitely be trying to enhance on her greatest exhibiting at a grand slam, a quarterfinal look on the 2020 Australian Open.
Kontaveit seemed spectacular in her opening-round US Open win over Jaqueline Cristian of Romania, dropping simply three video games, and stated after her win that she was “rooting” for Williams in her first-round match and is “actually excited” to play towards her.
“I’ve by no means performed towards her. I imply, that is the final likelihood,” she instructed reporters. “Higher late than by no means.
“I am actually excited. I believe the environment goes to be wonderful. I am actually trying ahead to it.”
CNN’s Steve Almasy contributed to this report.
