Tennis Star Serena Williams will stop playing tennis professionally

Women's tennis star Serena Williams has announced that she will "evolve away from tennis" after the US Open. In an article in the magazine Vogue, Williams said she would move in a different direction.

"That time is always hard when you love something so much. My goodness do I enjoy tennis. But now, the countdown has begun. I have to focus on being a mom, my spiritual goals and finally discovering a different, but just exciting Serena. I'm gonna relish these next few weeks."

Serena Williams

The 23-time Grand Slam winner could not play for over 1 year In the Vogue article she said:

"I have never liked the word retirement. It doesn't feel like a modern word to me. I've been thinking of this as a transition, but I want to be sensitive about how I use that word, which means something very specific and important to a community of people. Maybe the best word to describe what I'm up to is evolution. I'm here to tell you that I'm evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me." She continued: "Unfortunately I wasn't ready to win Wimbledon this year. And I don't know if I will be ready to win New York. But I'm going to try."

Serena Williams

Serena Williams won 73 career singles titles, 23 double titles (which include double titles and mix doubles (the doubles she played with her sister Venus), which all include 39 grand slam titles -- 23 singles titles, 14 doubles titles and two mixed doubles titles. The tennis star is 40 years old. Yesterday Williams won her first singles match since 430 days.

Now she said she will try to win the US-Open, which starts on the 29th of August. Serena Williams:

"Believe me, I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family. I don't think it's fair," Williams explained. "If I were a guy, I wouldn't be writing this because I'd be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labor of expanding our family. "Maybe I'd be more of a Tom Brady if I had that opportunity. Don't get me wrong: I love being a woman, and I loved every second of being pregnant with Olympia. I was one of those annoying women who adored being pregnant and was working until the day I had to report to the hospital -- although things got super complicated on the other side. And I almost did do the impossible: A lot of people don't realize that I was two months pregnant when I won the Australian Open in 2017. But I'm turning 41 this month, and something's got to give."

"Over the years, I hope that people come to think of me as symbolizing something bigger than tennis."

Serena Williams, tennis player

Picture from Wikipedia