Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

2022 US Open Runs Of Serena Williams And Ajla Tomljanovic Come To An End After Three Sets, Final Tournament Of Her Career

Serena Williams Upsets No. 2 Anett KontaveitSerena Williams Upsets No. 2 Anett Kontaveit

2022 US Open Runs Of Serena Williams And Ajla Tomljanovic Come To An End After Three Sets, Final Tournament Of Her Career

Possibly one of the greatest careers in the history of tennis has seemingly come to an end. As a result of her loss to Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday night, Serena Williams will not be able to compete in the 2022 US Open.

In the end, it was a closely contested match throughout, highlighted by big momentum swings and incredible shotmaking on the part of both players. However, what will be remembered more than anything that happened in the actual match will be the lasting image of what may very well be the last time Williams takes the court at the US Open, as this could very well be her last time there.

2022 US Open Runs Of Serena Williams And Ajla Tomljanovic Come To An End After Three Sets, Final Tournament Of Her Career

After making the announcement in early August that her playing days were coming to an end as she looks forward to building her family and ventures in the business world, the 40-year-old, 23-time Grand Slam champion has been well documented in her decision to leave tennis.

Even though she will have a lifetime to grow and nurture her home life as she transitions away from the court, this night was all about a lifetime spent on the court. She has often said over the last two decades that she gets every player’s best shot, and that’s exactly what she got in her third-round loss to Tomljanovic, whose grit and mental toughness were reminiscent of the superstar across the net.

It was Tomljanovic who kept the pressure on Williams’ forehand which was shaky tonight and accounted for most of the 51 unforced errors she committed tonight as she went down 5-3 in the first set and then 5-2 in the second set to battle back and win the first set and force a tie break in the second set, before winning the third set.

However, it wasn’t an easy task. Despite being down 5-1 in the third set before her final shot went into the net to end the match, Williams managed to save five match points. The match was excellent, with both players collecting games in large chunks throughout the match and both players swinging their momentum in a huge way, but the image that will stay with us for a lifetime will be Serena Williams thanking everyone in her post-match interview at Arthur Ashe Stadium as she is widely considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time.

It was a fun ride for me,” Williams said after spending three hours and four minutes on the court — the longest US Open match of her career so far. The experience has been the most incredible journey I have ever been on in my life and I am so grateful for every single person that ever said ‘Go Serena’ in their life. I am just so grateful because you brought me here,” she said.

On the other side of the net, Tomljanovic had the tall task of trying to advance further than she had ever done at the US Open, but at the expense of one of her heroes in the sport, who is one of the most accomplished players in the world.

I am feeling really sorry for what happened because I love Serena just as much as you guys do, Tomljanovic said. “What she has done for me, for the sport of tennis is just incredible. I never thought I would have a chance to play her in her last match when I was a kid, watching her in all those finals. This is a surreal moment for me.”

Tomljanovic spoke about the impact of one of the most legendary athletes in the world, Serena Williams, after describing her as the great player of all time.

It’s clear to me that she embodies the idea that there is no dream that is too big, and that it doesn’t matter where you come from, the circumstances, if you believe in yourself, you like what you do, and you have an incredible support system and family around you, you can conquer anything,” Tomljanovic said.

As for Williams, who is likely to ride off into the sunset and enter the next phase of her life, she is ready to move forward, but she is not quite ready to commit to not ever returning to the court when she was asked if she would ever return.

According to Williams, “I don’t think so, but you never know,” he said.

As for Tomljanovic, who will take on Liudmila Samsonova in the fourth round of the tournament on Sunday, she will have to regroup after a three-hour physical and emotional rollercoaster of a match.

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