Serena Williams hailed her friend Tiger Woods as the reason she is still playing tennis.
Williams is set to retire and although she did not announce the US Open as her final tournament, she heavily hinted that it could be her last appearance.
And Williams beat second seed Anett Kontaveit on Wednesday under the watchful eye of Tiger Woods.
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Williams revealed in the Vogue essay announcing her “evolution” away from tennis that Woods had given her advice on whether to have one final crack.
She said of the golfing great on Wednesday: “He’s one of the reasons I’m here, one of the main reasons I’m still playing. We talked a lot. He was really trying to get me motivated.
“There’s a few people, but we were like, ‘OK, we can do this together’. It was good, because I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I was just lost, so many questions. When you can rely on someone like that – I mean, my goodness, he’s Tiger Woods – it was really helpful to get clarity.”
Coming back to the sport is certainly looking a wise move now, and Williams, who next faces Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic, clearly believes she has more to offer.
“It’s no rush here,” she said. “I’m loving this crowd. There’s still a little left in me. We’ll see. I’m a pretty good player, this is what I do best. I love a challenge and I’m rising to the challenge.
“I haven’t played many matches, but I’ve been practising really well. The last couple of matches it’s come together. After I lost the second set I thought, ‘I’ve got to give my best effort because this could be it’.
“I’m just looking at it as a bonus. I don’t have anything to lose. I’ve had an X on my back since 1999. I really enjoy just coming out and enjoying it.”
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