Toronto, Canada- 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, said her goodbyes on Thursday following a 6-2 6-4 defeat by Belinda Bencic in the second round of the National Bank Open (Canadian Open).
This comes after she announced her impending retirement from professional tennis in Vogue magazine on Tuesday.
“I love playing here, I have always loved playing here. I wish I could have played better but Belinda played so well today. It’s been an interesting 24 hours. As I said in the article, I am terrible at goodbyes, but, goodbye Toronto. I was really happy to be out here today and play in front of you guys. Thanks for the support. Thank you! I always had amazing times here both on and off the court. I will be coming back just as a visitor to the city but otherwise, it’s been remarkable.” said Serena.
Prior to the match, a tribute video was played featuring comments from tennis pioneer Billie Jean King, current players, Coco Gauff and Emma Raducanu as well as ice hockey great Wayne Gretzky and highlights of Williams’s Canadian triumphs.
Karl Hale, the tournament director of the National Bank Open, said that after the retirement news broke, the tournament sold more tickets for the Williams-Bencic showdown than it had for any of its men’s matches, notable for a tournament that began in 1881, making it almost as old as Canada itself.
“We heard it yesterday morning, and immediately ticket sales picked up. In the players’ lounge, you heard the chatter. It’s the first time I have seen so many players watch a practice. She practiced at 9 a.m, and everybody was out there watching her,” said Kale.
Serena has gone on to become the greatest women’s player of the 21st century and joins the very short list of the most successful players of all time alongside Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf and Margaret Court.
She has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, one short of Court’s record, and has won 50 other tour singles titles, including three at the Canadian Open in 2001, 2011 and 2013.
Serena’s impact has far exceeded all of her accomplishments on the court. She has become an inspiration for women of colour everywhere, to always stand up for themselves and to never allow any criticism to destroy their self-confidence and self-worth, to dominate the competition and shine despite those who say you don’t belong.
