“There is no happiness, I hate it” Serena Williams lauds Ash Barty for stepping away at the top of her game

Former World No. 1 and 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams is in the final few days of her career as a Pro on the WTA Tour after she decided to announce her retirement on 9th August making it official that the 2022 US Open will be the last tournament for one of the greatest players ever to have graced the court.

Serena has been inactive for the past two seasons due to injuries and slow recoveries which has also resulted in early defeats for her in whatever few tournaments she has played. She was out of the rankings briefly for some time as all points from the 2022 Wimbledon Championships were removed due to the ban imposed by the Grand Slam on Russian players. She remains ranked outside the Top-400 and going into the 2022 US Open, the chances for her winning the major are very slim.

Also Read: “She achieved it BEFORE the Open Era began,” Serena Williams takes a direct dig at Margaret Court over GOAT comparisons in her retirement letter

“I’m terrible at goodbyes”: Serena Williams

With two WTA-1000 events before the US Open, Serena can certainly look for one last title before hanging her racket once and for all. Serena also mentioned Ash Barty and her friend Caroline Wozniacki in the letter talking about how she looks to take inspiration from the two former World No. 1 ranked players.

“But I’m not looking for some ceremonial, final on-court moment. I’m terrible at goodbyes, the world’s worst. I know that a lot of people are excited about and look forward to retiring, and I really wish I felt that way. Ashleigh Barty was number one in the world when she left the sport this March, and I believe she really felt ready to move on. Caroline Wozniacki, who is one of my best friends, felt a sense of relief when she retired in 2020.

“Praise to these people, but I’m going to be honest. There is no happiness in this topic for me. I know it’s not the usual thing to say, but I feel a great deal of pain. It’s the hardest thing that I could ever imagine. I hate it. I hate that I have to be at this crossroads. I keep saying to myself, I wish it could be easy for me, but it’s not,” wrote Serena in her retirement letter released by Vogue.

Williams is currently playing in the 2022 Canadian Open where she has advanced to the second round after defeating Nuria-Parrizas Dias in straight-sets in the first round. She will take on Belinda Bencic in the second round with the American leading 2-1 in the head-to-head.

Also Read: “She’s the GOAT and it’s not an opinion, it’s a fact,” Coco Gauff pays a fitting tribute to the retiring Serena Williams

Also Read: Naomi Osaka’s US Open participation comes in big doubt after injury forces her to withdraw from the Canadian Open in Toronto

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