The Sunday Mail
Serena Williams joked that she intends to spend her first day post-tennis in the karaoke booth before insisting she is looking forward to exploring Serena 2.0.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion met her final match in world number 46 Ajla Tomljanovic as she failed to defeat again the Australian in a three-set thriller 7-5 6-7 6-1 during the third round of the US Open yesterday.
Although the tennis legend will now not be taking stage on Arthur Ashe anymore, she revealed she will be performing in a rather different way.
When asked what she planned to do on the first day of the rest of her life, Williams joked: “I think I’m definitely, probably going to be karaoke-ing tomorrow”.
Williams and sister Venus are said to be big karaoke fans, and after their previous US Open victories, the Grand Slam champions would celebrate in a private karaoke room on 50th Street in Manhattan, according to Architectural Digest.
Serena even reportedly has a karaoke room in her Florida home hidden behind a secret doorway disguised as a bookshelf where she can belt out the tunes to her heart’s content.
Williams revealed in an interview with Vogue last month that she intends to ‘evolve away’ from tennis, and it is expected that her appearance in Flushing Meadows was her final tournament.
However, sing-alongs will not dominate Williams’s post-tennis life as she revealed her focus will naturally switch to family.
The 40-year-old said: “I’m ready to be a mom and explore a different version of Serena. “And, technically in the world I’m still super young, so I want to have a little bit of a life while I’m still walking,” she added with a little chuckle.
In her on-court interview, Williams appeared to leave the door slightly ajar but this is surely the end.
Asked if that was the case she replied: “I think so, you never know,” before leaving the court promptly.
Williams had breezed past Danka Kovinic in the opening round of the Grand Slam, before stunning world number two Anett Kontaveit last week.
However, her fairytale of New York came to an end on the enormous Arthur Ashe Stadium after three hours and four minutes of an excellent contest against Tomljanovic.
“Oh my god, thank you so much, you guys were amazing today,” she said in an on-court interview filled with emotion.
“I tried, but Ajla just played a little bit better,” she said.
With tears in her eyes, she added: “thank you Daddy, I know you’re watching. Thanks Mom. I just want to thank everyone that’s here, that’s been on my side, so many years, decades. “But it all started with my parents and they deserve everything, so I’m really grateful for them,” she said.
Williams, choked with emotion, continued to credit her elder sister Venus as an inspiration for her instrumental role in the 23-time grand slam singles champion’s career. — Dailymail.
