Australia’s Ajla Tomijanović’s youthful energy proved too much of a hurdle for tennis icon Serena Williams at the 2022 US Open.
Watch: Serena Williams bids farewell to tennis at 2022 US Open
The women’s singles fixture that took place at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, US, ended in the third round after Tomijanović overpowered 40-year-old Williams with a 6-1 scoring.
Following a longstanding career decorated with 73 singles titles and a staggering 39 Grand Slams, the early exit from the 2022 US Open likely concludes Williams’ tennis career.
In a great show of sportsmanship, Tomijanović, after her three-set victory, made way for Williams to address the record-packed stadium one last time.
The 40-year-old could barely contain her emotions, telling her fans, “it’s been a fun ride.”
She thanked her family for the unwavering support they’ve given her in all the years she’s dominated the sport.
“It all started with my parents and they deserve everything, I wouldn’t be Serena if there wasn’t Venus, so thank you Venus,” she said, as happy tears streamed effortlessly down her eyes.
For Tomijanović, her victory in Williams’ last professional tennis match was a surreal, bittersweet moment that will impact the rest of her career.
“I never thought that I’d have a chance to play her in her last match when I remember watching her as a kid in all those finals, so this is a surreal moment for me,” she said.
Watch Williams’ 2022 US Open speech below:
Williams exits her 27-year career at the top of tennis rankings. While in her personal capacity, she may be disappointed at failing to reach Australian tennis legend Australian Margaret Court’s singles Grand Slam record, Williams still bows out of the sport with:
- 73 career singles titles;
- 23 doubles titles;
- 4x Olympic Gold medalist;
- 7 Australian Open titles;
- 3 French Open titles;
- 7 Wimbledon titles;
- 6 US Open titles;
- 23 Grand Slam Championships;
- Longest Streak as ATP or WTA No.1 Player (376 weeks); and
- Longest Streak as WTA No.1 Player (186 weeks).
Here are some of the tributes that have poured in on social media following the result of the 2022 US Open third-round fixture.