Serena Williams Announces Retirement From Tennis

Serena Williams conscionable aced this response. 

After winning her lucifer against the no. 2 effect Anett Kontaveit during the 2nd circular of the U.S. Open connected Aug. 31, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion was asked by erstwhile tennis pro and ESPN expert Mary Joe Fernández if she amazed herself with her level of performance.

Letting retired a tiny laugh, Williams replied, "I mean, I'm conscionable Serena, you know?"

It was a nailing-biting nighttime astatine Arthur Ashe Stadium successful Queens, New York. After narrowly edging retired Kontaveit to triumph the archetypal set, Williams mislaid the 2nd earlier clinching triumph successful the third.

"Honestly, aft I mislaid the 2nd set, I thought, 'Oh my goodness, I gotta springiness my champion effort 'cause this could beryllium it," the athlete, who announced in an August effort for Vogue that she's retiring (or "evolving away") from tennis, continued. "And truthful really, I conscionable wanted to conscionable support trying and spot what I could bash and conscionable bash my best. And I was conscionable truly excited to beryllium honest."

When asked however she bushed Kontaveit, Williams replied, "Well, I'm a beauteous bully player. You know, this is what I bash best. I emotion a challenge. I emotion rising to the challenge."