Serena Williams won't be riding off into the sunset quietly after the all-time great finished her tennis career at the 2022 US Open.
Weeks before the tournament began at Flushing Meadows, the 23-time major champion released a statement confirming she would be 'evolving away from the sport' after her home Slam. And amid frenzied scenes, she raised hopes of a fairy tale finish after a dramatic round two win over second seed Anett Kontaveit.
A clash with Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic proved a bridge too far for the 40-year-old though. Following a three set defeat, Williams bid an emotional farewell to her adoring fans at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
But speaking about the next stage of her life on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon , Williams insisted there would be nothing "relaxing" about the future: "I think retirement is something that is super earned and that people work really hard for," said the American.
"I feel like I'm at an age where I definitely have a lot more to give and there's a lot more that I want to do so I'm not going to be relaxing, there's so much more for me. I feel like it's more of an evolution of Serena."
The icon had previously said she has plans for a second child with entrepreneur husband Alexis Ohanian, and also implied she had other goals to fulfil: "There's so many things that I've been wanting to do for so many years and I've had such a passion for tennis for so long that I've never done them. Now it's time for me to start to enjoy those things," she added.
There has been some scepticism as to whether Williams is truly done with tennis, given her reluctance to specifically use the word 'retirement'. She also still lies just one Slam win away from tying Margaret Court's record of 24.
Indeed, Fallon asked if she'd follow the path of NFL legend Tom Brady, who retired in February after missing out on an eighth Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Just a month later, he reversed his decision, opting for one more season at the age of 45.
"Tom Brady started an amazing trend," she replied, but was coy about voicing similar intentions. "That's what I want to say."
