Serena Williams Regrets Not Announcing Her Retirement Plans A Decade Ago: There Are So Many Things That I’ve Been Wanting To Do For So Many Years

September 14, 2022 by Tsai-Ann Hill in Sports with 0 Comments

Serena Williams

Serena Williams Regrets Not Announcing Her Retirement Plans A Decade Ago: There Are So Many Things That I’ve Been Wanting To Do For So Many Years

Serena Williams admits she’s terrible at saying ‘goodbye.’

Serena Williams

In a recent interview on Tuesday (Sept. 13), tennis legend Serena Williams revealed she should’ve considered retirement 10 years ago after she came across a personal evolution since she announced her decision to leave tennis back in August. Serena Williams said:

“The whole time, I was stressed out, I thought I was going to be really miserable and scared with this whole article coming out”

She continued:

“You have to think I have been playing tennis since I was literally in a stroller. There is a picture of Venus pushing me in a stroller.”

She added:

“For me to suddenly have to be done it was like well this is a big thing. When it came out, I was actually relieved. I didn’t expect to feel that way but I felt good.”

Serena explained that she should’ve considered her decision years ago. The 40-year-old said:

“I should have done it ten years ago. I always thought that at the end of it, I would just leave quietly and not say anything and just make an announcement on social media.”

She elaborated:

“I always feel like I feel retirement is something that’s super earned and that people work really hard for and maybe I haven’t.”

She shared:

“I just feel like I’m at an age where I definitely feel I have a lot more to give and there’s a lot more that I want to do. So I’m not going to be relaxing. There is so much more for me. I feel it’s more of an evolution of Serena.”

She admitted:

“There are so many things that I’ve been wanting to do for so many years. I have had such a passion for tennis for so long that I have never done it. Now it’s time for me to start to enjoy those things.”

The tennis legend is ready for a fresh start following her retirement. As previously reported, outside of her personal and professional interests, she is focused on her only daughter Alexis, 5, and her husband Alexis Ohanian.

Serena shared that before she made her final decision, she refused to talk to anyone about it. She said:

“In the beginning, I literally couldn’t tell anyone.”

She continued:

“Verbalizing it meant that it was real and I’m like I don’t want it to be real. I don’t think you really know until, I don’t know, until you say it.”

Serena revealed reality hit her while competing at Wimbledon for the last time. She shared:

“I was heavy. I was heavy for months. I don’t know if you knew my energy but I was just so heavy, and I just wasn’t even rocking out the way I wanted to rock out.”

The former tennis player intends to focus her Serena Ventures investment business while continuing her endeavors as a children’s author. On September 27, she’ll be releasing a new book titled “The Adventures of Qai Qai.” She said:

“Giving everyone an opportunity. Really just investing in founders. That’s the mission that we started and we are keeping it up.That’s what The Adventures of Qai Qai is all about, that you can do anything.”

According to reports, Serena’s final match at the U.S. Open 2022 gave ESPN a new record. The Michigan native versus Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic in round 3 of the tennis match marked the most-watched tennis game on ESPN. It drew 4.6 million viewers and peaked at 6.9 million. Ajla Tomljanovic beat Serena in the intense three-hour battle. Following her loss, Serena made an emotional speech at her last match. She said:

“Thank you so much, you guys were amazing today. I wish I played a little bit better. Thank you, Daddy, I know you’re watching. Thanks, Mom,” Williams said on the court. “I just thank everyone that’s here, that’s been on my side so many years, decades. Oh my gosh, literally decades. But it all started with my parents, and they deserve everything, so I’m really grateful for them. These are happy tears, I guess! I don’t know. And I wouldn’t be Serena if there wasn’t Venus, so thank you Venus.”