The outstanding career of tennis player Serena Williams (40) is approaching its final stages. The exceptional athlete has now announced this herself in a detailed cover story for the magazine "Vogue". Her approaching 41st birthday and special words from her daughter Olympia have therefore provided the final decision-making aid. Because more than anything else in the world, her little one wishes to be a "big sister".
A wish that her five-year-old mother wants to fulfill soon: "I've got a family. I want to let this family grow." But once again she does not want to have to combine family and career. "I hate standing at this crossroads [...] I'm torn. I don't want it to be over, but at the same time I'm ready for what follows."
So far, her approaching farewell to tennis has been like a "taboo subject". "When it comes up, I start crying. I think the only person I've really been able to talk to about it has been my therapist." But even now she does not want to speak of her departure as "retirement". "Maybe 'evolution' is the best word to explain what I'm going to do. I'm evolving away from tennis towards other things that are important to me."
When exactly this development will be completed is not clear from the article. But "the countdown begins," said Williams, who still wanted to look forward to the "next few weeks". She is currently taking part in the tennis tournament in Toronto and was able to celebrate her first victory there in 14 months. And Williams will definitely still play the US Open, which starts on August 29th. "I don't know if I'll be ready for New York, but I'll try," she is quoted as saying in the "Vogue" article.
She cannot yet imagine what it will be like to be on the tennis court of a major tournament for the last time. At the end of the article, Williams, with 23 Grand Slam victories one of the best tennis players of all time, admits what she doesn't master at all: "I'm terrible with goodbyes, the worst in the world."
