Serena Williams marked the end of an era earlier this month when she announced that she will be retiring from tennis — but she’s still not ready to confirm that the U.S. Open will be her last tournament.
The 23-time Grand Slam winner, 40, and her sister Venus Williams, 42, opened up about the new chapters in their lives during an interview that aired on Friday’s episode of the Today show.
Serena, who is set to play 80th-ranked Danka Kovinic in the first round of the U.S. Open on Monday, was asked if the tournament would be her last following the news of her upcoming retirement.
‘I think so, but who knows?’ she told Today hosts Dylan Dreyer and Sheinelle Jones at ‘A Conversation with Champions’ event that took place at the Lotte New York Palace on Thursday.
Serena Williams, 40, spoke with Today hosts Dylan Dreyer and Sheinelle Jones about her upcoming retirement at ‘A Conversation with Champions’ event on Thursday
The 23-time Grand Slam winner (pictured at practice on Thursday) is set to play 80th-ranked Danka Kovinic in the first round of the U.S. Open on Monday
The sisters were joined by fellow tennis stars Naomi Osaka, Rafael Nadal, and Nick Kyrgios on stage ahead of the tournament, which will run from August 29 to September 11.
When Serena was asked if could see herself playing in the Australian Open in January 2023 — the first major tournament of the year — she said: ‘I don’t think so.’
‘You never know,’ she added. ‘I’ve learned in my career, never say never.’
Serena announced her retirement in the September issue of Vogue, indicating that she would be saying goodbye to tennis after the U.S. Open to focus on growing her family and her other business ventures, including investing.
When asked if it would be her last tennis tournament following the news of her upcoming retirement, Serena (pictured with her sister Venus Williams) said: ‘I think so, but who knows?’
The Williams sisters were joined by fellow tennis stars Nick Kyrgios, Naomi Osaka, and Rafael Nadal (left to right). Serena noted that she doesn’t see herself playing in the Australian Open in January, but added that she has learned to ‘never say never’
The mother of one said she’s not concerned with breaking any records in the upcoming tournament, which will likely be her last. She is one major win away from tying Australian tennis player Margaret Court’s record for the most Grand Slam titles.
‘I’ve already broken the record,’ she said. ‘So I think it’s just someone else’s vision and mine is just to … I never dreamed of having this many Grand Slams or titles. I just thought I would just play tennis and maybe win a Grand Slam or two. So for me, it’s all a bonus.’
Dreyer and Jones continued their conversation with Serena and Venus during a private sit-down after the event.
‘This whole journey is gonna be emotional,’ Serena said. ‘I love what I do, there’s nothing about me not loving my job. I love it. I’ve been playing it my whole entire life. It’s very emotional to evolve into something new.’
Dreyer and Jones continued their conversation with the sister during a private sit-down after the event. ‘This whole journey is gonna be emotional,’ Serena admitted
Serena said she and Venus rarely talk about tennis, but they did have a conversation about what next year is going to look like for her next year
‘It’s still business, she still wants to play, she still wants to win,’ Venus told Today of her younger sister’s retirement plans
Serena explained in her Vogue cover story that she and her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, are trying to have another child. She shared that their four-year-old daughter, Olympia, has been praying for a baby sister.
She told Today that she ‘for sure’ wants more children in the future.
“If you have a baby, they have to fit in your life, you shouldn’t change your life. And so that’s hard,’ she explained. ‘It’s super hard because there’s so many things that change, but even though those changes happen, they still have to fit in your life. You don’t want to just lose who you are.
‘So for me, that’s kind of how it is like, she fits in my life,” she added. ‘We do a lot of things together. We have a lot of fun, and then it works.’
Serena’s current earnings from tournament prize money stand at $94.5 million — more than any other female tennis player in history — according to the Women’s Tennis Association.
Serena (pictured after winning the Australian Open in 2017) has earned $94.5 million in prize month over the years, more than any other female tennis player
Serena announced in the September issue of Vogue that she is retiring from tennis sometime after U.S. Open this year
Serena (pictured with her four-year-old daughter, Olympia) told Today that she ‘for sure’ wants to have more children
She has made more than double the second highest earner, her sister Venus, whose career total is $42.2 million. Her tennis earnings will get another bump if she plays in the U.S. Open as planned.
The athlete currently has over a dozen brand partnerships, her own fashion and jewelry lines, and a venture capital firm, Serena Ventures.
Serena said she and Venus rarely talk about tennis, but they did have a conversation about what next year is going to look like for her next year.
Venus also shared the advice she has for her younger sister in the wake of her retirement news.
Meghan Markle hinted that she will be cheering for Serena (pictured at the Western and Southern Open tournament this month) at the U.S. Open, which starts on August 29
The Duchess of Sussex, 41, talked to Serena about the tournament during their conversation that aired on the first episode of her Spotify podcast, Archetypes
‘We’re going to have fun. We’ll make sure you get a good one,’ Meghan told Serena. The royal previously rooted for her pal at the U.S. Open women’s final in 2019 (pictured)
‘It’s still business, she still wants to play, she still wants to win,’ she told Today. ‘When she walks on the court she wants to be focused — so this is the moment now for her to do that, like all the other moments, and then when that moment is over, then the next moment will be here. So that’s what it is.’
Whether or not the U.S. Open is Serena’s last tournament, she plans on having a good time after the competition.
Her close pal Meghan Markle hinted that she will be in New York to cheer her on during their conversation that aired on the first episode of the royal’s Spotify podcast, Archetypes.
‘Yeah, we’re going to have fun. We’ll make sure you get a good one,’ the Duchess of Sussex, 41, said.
‘To the bar — to the bar. That’s something to do afterwards,’ Serena added. ‘I’m just going out because I can never drink. Have a glass of Champagne. Maybe I’ll just do some twirls right on out of the stadium.’
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