Serena Williams Stuns World No. 2 Anett Kontaveit at U.S. Open To Postpone Retirement Yet Again

Serena Williams’ retirement will have to wait at least a few more days.

The soon-to-be 41-year-old mother put off the end of her singles career at least until Friday by knocking off Anett Kontaveit, the No. 2 player in the world, 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-2, in the second round of the U.S. Open in front of a raucous Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd that included Tiger Woods, Spike Lee, Billie Jean King, Venus Williams, Lindsey Vohn and Zendaya. Next up for Serena will be Ajla Tomljanović of Australia on Friday.

“It’s no rush [to retire] here,” she told ESPN’s Mary Jo Fernandez on court. “I’m loving this crowd and, oh my goodness, it’s really fantastic so there’s still a little left in me. “

Asked if she was surprised by the win, she said with a smile, “No, I know. I’m just Serena, you know.”

She added: “I’m a pretty good player. This is what I do best, I love a challenge, I love rising to the challenge. I haven’t played too many matches, but I’ve practicing been really well. The last couple matches here in New York, it’s really come together.”

The 23-time Grand Slam champion pulled off the upset in just her sixth match of 2022 by serving and moving better than she has in recent matches — and calling to mind the prime of her career. She smacked 11 aces and hit 38 winners against 32 unforced errors.

Some had to wonder, Is it really time to retire if you’re playing like this?

She will be back on Ashe Thursday night with her sister Venus in the first round of the doubles, and then will play on Ashe again on Friday in a third-round singles match.

“Yeah, I’m so excited for doubles,” she said. “It’s been so long, we gotta play again, we gotta bring the reunion back. I’m excited to play with Venus and get some matches because I could use some matches.”

When Serena smacked an ace to win the first set tiebreak, Woods stood and flexed his right bicep.

Serena was broken twice in the second set as Kontaveitt steadied herself and didn’t fold.

Considering she has barely played in the last year, there were legitimate questions about her fitness headed into a third set.

But in the third set, Williams earned a break to go up 2-0 by matching Kontaveit’s pace from the baseline before Kontaveit sailed a forehand long on break point.

Serena fought of a break point in the seventh game with a swinging forehand volley winner after a long rally to go ahead 5-2.

She smacked another swinging forehand volley to earn triple-match point on Kontaveit’s serve and then won it with a backhand return down the line. She raised her fist to the crowd and flashed a huge satisfied smile.

“Honestly after I lost the second set, I thought ,oh my goodness, I gotta give my best effort because this could be it,” she said. “I kept trying, just do my best, to be honest. I’m super competitive. Honestly I’m just looking at it as a bonus. I don’t have anything to prove, I don’t have anything to lose. I have absolutely nothing to lose and I never get to play like this. I honestly just enjoy coming out and doing it.”

Serena may be riding off into retirement soon but her legacy will live on in the impact she and her sister Venus have had on younger generations of women of color, including four-time major champion Naomi Osaka, former U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens, French Open finalist Coco Gauff and countless others.

“I think that her legacy is really wide, to the point where you can’t even describe it in words,” Osaka said of Serena.

“She changed the sport so much, she’s introduced people that have never heard of tennis into the sport and I think I’m a product of what she’s done. I wouldn’t be here without Serena, Venus, her whole family. I’m very thankful to her.”

Before the Williams’ sisters, few black women played at the highest levels of women’s tennis, although Althea Gibson was a pioneer in the 1950s.

Now younger players grow up having seen what Serena and Venus accomplished.

Gauff, who advanced to a third-round matchup with fellow American Madison Keys, said “growing up I never thought that I was different because the No. 1 player in the world was somebody who looked like me.”

Gauff said she learned how to handle herself with poise and confidence by watching Serena.

“I feel like Serena taught me that,” she said. “She never settled for less. I can’t remember a moment in her career or life that she settled for less. I think that’s something I took from. As a person, I’m growing into being an adult and learning how to handle things now with the media and tennis and everything, I’m trying to learn to not settle for less.”

Gauff revealed that the first money she ever made for herself, came from playing Serena in a commercial.

“They needed a stunt double to play a young version of her from just the face down,” she said. “I think it was for a Delta commercial. I don’t think they ever used it, but that was, like, my first check I ever got as a kid. She doesn’t know this, but the first money I ever made for myself was because of her doing a commercial.”

Asked to reflect on those kinds of comments from younger players, Serena said:

“I feel grateful that I can have that impact. I never thought I would have that impact, ever. I was just a girl trying to play tennis in a time where I could develop this impact and be a voice. It was just so authentic ’cause I do what I do, and I just do it authentically me. I think people could really relate to that.”

Serena’s career will last at least a few more days, so it’s not time to write her retirement story just yet.