Serena Williams loses at US Open; could be last match
Serena Williams lost what is expected to be the last match of her transcendent tennis career Friday night, eliminated from the U.S. Open in the third round by Ajla Tomljanovic 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-1 before an electric crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Unwilling to go quietly, Williams staved off five match points to prolong the three-hours-plus proceedings, as some spectators stood to watch, camera phones at the ready. No one save, of course, Tomljanovic wanted this to end.
It did on Tomljanovic’s sixth chance, when Williams netted a shot.
Williams turns 41 this month and recently told the world that she is ready to start « evolving » away from her playing days she expressed distaste for the word « retirement » and while she has remained purposely vague about whether this appearance at Flushing Meadows definitely would represent her final tournament, everyone assumes it will be.
People are also reading…
If this was, indeed, the last hurrah, she took her fans on a thrill-a-minute throwback ride at the hard-court tournament that was the site of a half-dozen of her 23 Grand Slam championships. The first came in 1999 in New York, when Williams was just 17.
But she faltered against Tomljanovic, a 29-year-old Australian who is ranked 46th. Williams gave away leads in each set, including the last, in which she was up 1-0 before dropping the final six games.
Photos: Serena Williams’ last match? See the highlights
Serena Williams, of the United States, returns a shot to Ajla Tomljanovic, of Austrailia, during the third round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Serena Williams, of the United States, reacts during a match against Ajla Tomljanovic, of Australia, during the third round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Serena Williams, of the United States, reacts after missing a shot against Ajla Tomljanovic, of Australia, during the third round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Serena Williams, of the United States, returns a shot to Ajla Tomljanovic, of Australia, during the third round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Serena Williams, of the United States, returns a shot to Ajla Tomljanovic, of Australia, during the third round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Serena Williams, of the United States, reacts during a match against Ajla Tomljanovic, of Australia, during the third round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Serena Williams, of the United States, returns a shot to Ajla Tomljanovic, of Australia, during the third round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Serena Williams, of the United States, reacts during a match against Ajla Tomljanovic, of Australia, during the third round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Serena Williams, of the United States, returns a shot to Ajla Tomljanovic, of Australia, during the third round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Ciara applauds Serena Williams, of the United States, during a match against Ajla Tomljanovic, of Austrailia, during the third round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Serena Williams, of the United States, reacts in the third set against Ajla Tomljanovic, of Austrailia, during the third round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Serena Williams, of the United States, takes a break between games against Ajla Tomljanovic, of Austrailia, during the third round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Photos: Serena Williams through the years
Serena Williams of United States, right, and Julie Halard-Ducgis of France, on the winners’ podium, hold their trophies during the award presentation of Toyota Princess Cup Womens Tennis in Tokyo, Sunday, Oct 8, 2000. Williams beat Halard-Cucgis to win the first place and the French player took the second. (AP Photo/Junji Kurokawa)
Venus, left, and Serena Williams hold their trophy after defeating Japan’s Ai Sugiyama and Julie Halard Decugis of France, in the Women’s Doubles final on Centre Court at Wimbledon Monday, July 10, 2000. (AP Photo/Dave Caulkin)
Holding her racket with broken strings, U.S. tennis player Serena Williams bursts out in joy after beating Belgiums’ Justine Henin 6-3, 7-6 in their quarter final match of the womens WTA tennis world championship in the Oympic hall in Munich, southern Germany, Friday, Nov. 2, 2001. (AP Photo/Diether Endlicher)
Serena Williams, left, and her mother, Oracene, watch Venus Williams plays fellow American Kristina Brandi in their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Wednesday, Jan 16, 2002. Williams won the match 6-3, 6-4. Serena, seeded fifth, withdrew before her opening match Monday with an injured ankle. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
American Serena Williams returns a backhand to Slovakia’s Martina Sucha during their first round match of the French Open tennis tournament Wednesday May 29, 2002 in Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Serena Williams, right, hugs her sister Venus after winning the women’s final of the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros stadium in Paris Saturday June 8, 2002. Serena Williams defeated her sister Venus 7-5, 6-3.(AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Serena, left, and Venus Williams hold their trophies after winning the Women’s Doubles championship on the Centre Court at Wimbledon Sunday, July 7, 2002. The sisters defeated Virginia Ruano Pascual of Spain and Paola Suarez of Argentina to win the championship. (AP Photo/Dave Caulkin)
Serena Williams of the U.S. reacts during her fourth round match against Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2007.Williams won in straight sets 6-3 6-2. (AP Photo/Rick Stevens)
Dwayne « The Rock » Johnson, left, and Serena Williams present the award for record breaking performance at the 15th annual ESPY Awards on Wednesday, July 11, 2007, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
U.S. Serena Williams listens to a journalists question during a press conference after retiring with an injury on her right leg during the Madrid Open Tennis against Francesca Schiavone from Italy in the Caja Magica in Madrid, Monday May 11, 2009.(AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)
Venus Williams, right, and her sister Serena pose for the cameras at Eastbourne, Monday June 16, 1997 during the Direct Line Ladies Tennis Championships. Williams wanted as much grass-court play as possible before Wimbledon. She’s getting it. Williams, the 16-year-old American preparing for her first appearance at the All England Club, turned down a wild card at the Eastbourne tournament in order to play in the qualifying rounds. (AP Photo/str)
Venus Williams, left, and sister Serena raise their arms after their center court match at the Australian Open Tennis Championships in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, January 21, 1998. Venus won the match 7-6, 6-1. (AP Photo/Rick Stevens)
Venus Williams, left, and her sister Serena Williams share a light moment during their doubles tennis match against Els Callens of Belgium and Rita Grande of Italy at the French Open at Roland Garros stadium in Paris Wednesday, June 2, 1999. (AP Photo/Laurent Rebours)
Serena Williams of the U.S., left, warms up on a practice court as her father Richard Williams looks on, before her second round single tennis match at the Eastbourne International grass court tournament in Eastbourne, England, Wednesday, June 15, 2011. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)
Serena Williams of the US prepares to serve during the match against Romania’s Simona Halep at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, Thursday, June 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Serena Williams, of the United States, yells as she charges the net for a return against Yaroslava Shvedova, of Kazakhstan, during the third round of the 2013 U.S. Open tennis tournament, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
U.S tennis players and sister’s Venus, and Serena Williams, right, arrive for the Pre-Wimbledon Party, at Kensington Roof Gardens in west London, Thursday June 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan)
Serena Williams of the United States, right, embraces her father Richard Williams, center, as her sister Venus looks on, after she defeated Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland to win the women’s final match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, England, Saturday, July 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Serena Williams reacts after a point against Bethanie Mattek-Sands during the third round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Friday, Sept. 4, 2015, in New York. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Serena Williams, of the U.S, celebrates as she defeats Russia’s Maria Sharapova during the Women’s final match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium Saturday, June 8, 2013 in Paris. Williams won 6-4, 6-4. (AP Photo/David Vincent)
Serena Williams looks up during a match against Coco Vandeweghe at the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Serena Williams holds the championship trophy after beating Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, in the championship match at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament, Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012, in New York. Two points from defeat, Williams suddenly regained her composure to come back and win the last four games, beating No. 1-ranked Azarenka 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 on Sunday for her fourth U.S. Open title and 15th Grand Slam title overall. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)
Serena Williams of U.S. holds up her winning trophy as she poses with the ball boys and girls after the final of the China Open tennis tournament at the National Tennis Stadium in Beijing, China, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2013. Williams defeated Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-2, 6-2. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Serena Williams of the United States plays a forehand return to Maria Sharapova of Russia during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016.(AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Serena Williams returns the ball to Simona Halep, of Romania, during a final match at the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2015, in Mason, Ohio. Williams defeated Halep 6-3, 7-6 (5). (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Serena Williams speaks during a press conferene at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Serena Williams of the Philippine Mavericks serves against Ana Ivanovic of Serbia during the women’s singles match in the 2015 International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) Sunday, Dec. 6, 2015 at the Mall of Asia Arena at suburban Pasay city south of Manila, Philippines. Williams won the match 6-3.(AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)
Serena Williams of the U.S. serves the ball in the semifinal match of the French Open tennis tournament against Netherlands’ Kiki Bertens at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Friday, June 3, 2016. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Serena Williams of the U.S. holds the trophy after defeating Russia’s Maria Sharapova in two sets 6-4, 6-4, in the women’s final of the French Open tennis tournament, at Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday June 8, 2013. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Serena Williams of the United States serves to Vesna Dolonc of Serbia during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014.(AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Serena Williams of the U.S. celebrates upon beating Maria Sharapova of Russia 6-2, 7-6 in their semifinal match during the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia, Friday, Jan. 3, 2014. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)