Serena Williams waved farewell to the US Open - and her illustrious career - amid emotional scenes after she lost to Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic on a thrilling night in New York.
Williams, who turns 41 this month, expects it to be her final match.
It will end a 27-year professional career that brought 23 major singles wins and sees the American widely labelled as the greatest of all time.
Williams lost 7-5 6-7 (4-7) 6-1 and had tears running down her face afterwards.
The former long-time world number one saved five match points in what proved to be the final game but was powerless to stop a sixth.
Almost everyone who could rose to their feet when she departed the court on Arthur Ashe Stadium - the scene of her first major triumph in 1999 and five more of the finest wins in her storied career - for what she intends to be the last time.
As she waved goodbye and gave a signature twirl, Tina Turner’s pop classic ‘Simply The Best’ boomed out over the sound system.
Asked if she would reconsider retiring after her performances this week, Williams said: “I’m literally playing my way into this and getting better. I should have started sooner this year. I don’t think so, but you never know.” (BBC Sport)