'Fighter' Serena Williams proud of change she brought to sport

Reuters

New York, September 3

Serena Williams said she wanted to be remembered as a fighter and was proud of the impact she had on tennis as she most likely dropped the curtain on her historic career at the US Open on Friday.

"The fight, I'm such a fighter," she said when asked how she wanted to be remembered following her 7-5 6-7(4) 6-1 third round loss to Ajla Tomljanovic, in what she has indicated was her final match.

"I feel like I really brought something to tennis, a different look, the fist pumps, the just crazy intensity. Passion is a really good word," she told reporters.

Serena and sister Venus took the tennis world by storm when they emerged from the courts of crime-ridden Compton, California as teenagers and went on to dominate and change the face of the predominantly white sport.

On the court, she thanked her family, friends and fans for an "incredible journey." "Honestly I am so grateful that I had this moment and that I'm Serena," she told reporters.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion singled out the 2015 French Open, where she battled through serious flu symptoms to complete her second "Serena Slam" - four consecutive Grand Slam titles - as a career highlight.

"That is definitely the one that I'm taking with me because I almost died in that event," she said. "Somehow I won. So that was pretty awesome." The 40-year-old mother to Olympia exceeded expectations at the year's final major, turning back the clock to beat world number two Anett Kontaveit and fending off five match points against Tomljanovic in an absorbing three-set battle.

The undiminished power she displayed in New York led some to wondered whether she is really ready to "evolve away" from tennis to focus on growing her family and on her business interests, as she announced last month.

"I don't know. I'm not thinking about that," she said.

"I always did love Australia, though," she said with a smile, referring to January's Australian Open.

Whether on the court or off, she said she will continue to stay connected to the sport she transcended in the years to come.

"Tennis has been such a huge part of my life, I can't imagine not being involved," she said.

"I don't see a future without it."

Serena Williams' journey to the top of women's game

The following is a timeline charting Serena’s rise to the top of the women's game:

1999: Defeated Martina Hingis in the US 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 US 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 US Open to break her Grand Slam drought before claiming the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles the following year.

2010: Won her 12th major at the Australian Open. Missed the US 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 US Open final but lost to Australia's Sam Stosur.

2012: Won Wimbledon in 2012 and followed that with Olympic gold on the same grasscourts, beating top seed Victoria Azarenka in the semi-finals and third seed Maria Sharapova in final.

Won her fourth US 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 US Open title to her collection.

2014: Claimed seven titles, including her sixth US 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 US 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 US 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 US Open, where she was beaten in the third round by Australian Ajla Tomljanovic.