There Will Be No Fairytale Ending For Serena, Says Navratilova

Aug 16, 2022; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Serena Willams (USA) follows through on a forehand in her match against Emma Raducanu (GBR) at the Western & Southern Open at the at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-USA

Serena Williams may have planned retirement her way but the American must be prepared to accept the goodbyes as well as the losses and exit the stage with grace, tennis great Martina Navratilova has told Reuters.

Williams signalled her intention to retire in a Vogue article in early August saying she was “evolving away from tennis” but never confirming the U.S. Open as her final event.

However, for Navratilova, like most of the tennis world, the message was clear — Flushing Meadows, where Williams won the first of her 23 Grand Slam titles in 1999, will be the place she takes her final bow.

Navratilova said she completely understood the emotions Williams was wrestling with as she approaches her final match having experienced many of them herself.

But having made her decision, Williams must be prepared to live with it and say goodbye even in the face of defeat.

“It’s hard,” said Navratilova, who is working with Sense Arena on a virtual reality tennis training product that provides players with enhanced visualisation.