The official broadcaster has apologised after Novak Djokovic declined to take part in the customary on-court post-match interview at the Australian Open on Sunday, reports AP. The protest came in response to remarks aired by a network employee. Djokovic expressed that he sought an apology from Channel 9 and Tony Jones, who, during an on-air segment at Melbourne Park, referred to the 24-time Grand Slam champion as "overrated" and a "has-been." Jones also seemingly alluded to Djokovic’s 2022 deportation from Australia over his unvaccinated status, during a segment while a crowd of Serbian fans chanted in support of the player. Without directly naming Jones, Djokovic referred to “a famous sports journalist who works for official broadcaster, Channel 9” and accused him of mocking Serbian fans and making derogatory remarks. Gael Monfils defeats Fritz, reaches Australian Open fourth round Djokovic stated he would refrain from engaging with the network moving forward.“I leave it to Channel 9 to address this in the way they deem appropriate. That’s all,” he said. Australia’s Nine Network issued a statement on Monday apologising to Djokovic for “any offense caused by comments made during a recent live broadcast.”“No harm was intended toward Novak or his supporters,” the statement read. “We look forward to continuing coverage of his Australian Open journey at Melbourne Park.” Appearing on the Today programme Monday, Jones apologised, explaining his comments were intended as “banter.”“I viewed it as humour, which aligns with much of my approach,” Jones said. “That said, I’ve since been made aware that Djokovic’s team was deeply unhappy with the remarks. “I immediately reached out to Djokovic’s camp and extended an apology. I stand by that apology to Novak.” Jones also addressed Serbian fans, acknowledging that his comments might not have been perceived as humorous.“I feel I’ve let down Serbian supporters,” he said. “This isn’t an attempt to escape criticism – I genuinely empathise with those fans.” Taylor Fritz advances to second round at Australian Open “To Novak, I repeat what I told him 48 hours ago: I sincerely apologise if he felt disrespected.” Serbia’s Ambassador to Australia, Rade Stefanovic, criticised Jones’ remarks on Monday, describing them as “unprofessional” and not in good humour, particularly the insinuation regarding Djokovic’s deportation.“That incident remains a sensitive issue for Serbians globally, including Australians of Serbian heritage, who were also impacted at the time,” Stefanovic told the Sydney Morning Herald, which shares the same parent company as Channel 9. After defeating Jiri Lehecka in straight sets at Rod Laver Arena on Sunday to advance to the quarterfinals, Djokovic was anticipated to join former player Jim Courier for a televised interview. Instead, Djokovic addressed the crowd briefly: “Thank you very much for being here tonight. I appreciate your presence and the support. I’ll see you next round. Thank you very much.” In a subsequent press conference, Djokovic began with a statement explaining his decision to forgo the interview, stressing that his frustration was directed at Jones and Channel 9, not Courier or the fans. Sinner, Alcaraz headline ATP Finals with Djokovic out He revealed that he also discussed the matter with Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley.“I wanted him to understand my perspective and reasons,” Djokovic said. “I told him, ‘If you feel the need to fine me for not giving an on-court interview, I accept that. I believe this was necessary.’ That’s all there is to it.” Djokovic later reiterated his stance on X (formerly Twitter), prompting a response from platform owner Elon Musk, who remarked, “It’s way better just to talk to the public directly than go through the negativity filter of legacy media.” Djokovic replied with “Indeed” and a raised hands emoji. Djokovic is set to face third-seeded Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.

Gael Monfils advanced to the Australian Open's fourth round at age 38, defeating Taylor Fritz, the No. 4 seed, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (1), 6-4 on Saturday, becoming the second man since 1988 to achieve this feat at that age, alongside Roger Federer, reports AP. Monfils sealed the victory with a 134 mph (215 kph) ace—his 24th of the match, double Fritz's tally—and celebrated with a dance on the baseline as the crowd at Margaret Court Arena erupted, many waving French flags in support. Taylor Fritz advances to second round at Australian Open “It was really tough to hurt him. He just got back everything,” Fritz remarked. “I felt like I wasn’t even hitting... It seemed almost too easy for him to hurt me, for how much I was struggling to hurt him. He played really, really well. Not too much I could do.” The veteran Frenchman, who won a title in Auckland, New Zealand earlier this season—making him the oldest man to win a tournament since at least 1990—attributed his success to discipline and self-belief. “I try to be very disciplined with the recovery. I am a strong believer in myself. Strong belief I can do some damage,” Monfils said. “With a little luck, here we are in the second week of the Australian Open.” Monfils, a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist, has yet to progress beyond the quarterfinals at the Australian Open. 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal will retire from tennis after next month's Davis Cup finals At 38, Federer was slightly older than Monfils when he reached the 2020 Australian Open semifinals, his last appearance at the tournament. Monfils will next face 22-year-old Ben Shelton, the 21st seed, who overcame No. 16 seed Lorenzo Musetti in four sets. Playing his signature brand of dynamic and entertaining tennis, Monfils produced 58 winners to 34 unforced errors and dropped only one service game. At the net, Monfils converted 11 of 15 points, while Fritz managed 16 of 30. The win ended Monfils’ 12-match losing streak against top-five players at Grand Slams. Fritz, 27, and runner-up at the U.S. Open last September, became the highest-seeded man eliminated from this year’s Melbourne Park draw. He received treatment for his right foot during the match. BSJA Sports Carnival: Fazle Rabbi Moon earns double crown in table tennis competition  Adding to the family's success, Monfils’ wife, Elina Svitolina, secured a win on the same court later that evening, defeating two-time Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini 2-6, 6-4, 6-0. Remarking on their shared victories, Monfils said, “I warmed up the court for her,” before returning to the stands to cheer her on.

Naomi Osaka's second-round match at the Australian Open got off to a dreadful start. After just 21 minutes, she hit a forehand service return far beyond the baseline, quickly finding herself 5-0 down, reports AP. At the changeover, Osaka walked to the sideline, sat down, and covered her head with a white towel, shutting out everything around her and focusing only on her thoughts. She remained like this throughout the break, even managing to drink water under the towel. Taylor Fritz advances to second round at Australian Open This wasn't just any opponent; it was 20th-seeded Karolina Muchova, the 2023 French Open runner-up and a three-time Grand Slam semifinalist, including at Melbourne Park in 2021. Muchova had beaten Osaka in their two previous meetings, but none of that mattered. Osaka put the tough start behind her and fought back to win 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 on Wednesday. Explaining her mindset, Osaka said, “Just be aware and try not to get so negative on yourself. The first set score was dramatic, but there were key moments where I could have won a game or two, so I kept telling myself that.” This victory was meaningful for Osaka, who once ruled women's tennis, claiming four Grand Slam titles and rising to No. 1 in the WTA rankings. Reaching the third round of a major for the first time since 2022 marked a return to form after taking breaks for mental health and then pregnancy. Osaka’s daughter, Shai, was born in July 2023. Since her return to tennis a year ago, Osaka has shown signs of regaining her form, including a narrow loss to world No. 1 Iga Swiatek at the French Open. This win in Melbourne, following a victory over Caroline Garcia, confirms her progress. 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal will retire from tennis after next month's Davis Cup finals Osaka shared, “It definitely was a goal of mine, especially after last year when I didn’t beat a seed in a Grand Slam. I’m grateful it happened so early this year.” She also joked about getting “revenge” on Garcia, who beat her in Melbourne last year, and Muchova, both in consecutive matches. Next up for Osaka is a clash with Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Belinda Bencic, another mother, whose daughter, Bella, was also born last year. Both players are known for their powerful play. Bencic said, “It's going to be a fun match.” Meanwhile, Muchova wasn't the highest-seeded player to exit Wednesday. That distinction went to No. 5 Zheng Qinwen, the 2024 Australian Open runner-up, who lost focus after being penalised for a time violation and was defeated 7-6 (3), 6-3 by 97th-ranked Laura Siegemund. “I knew I just had to play more than my best tennis,” said the 36-year-old Siegemund. BSJA Sports Carnival: Fazle Rabbi Moon earns double crown in table tennis competition  Aryna Sabalenka, the No. 1 seed and last year’s Australian Open champion, extended her Melbourne Park winning streak to 16 matches by defeating No. 54 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-3, 7-5, as she aims for a third consecutive title. Other women who won included No. 7 Jessica Pegula, No. 14 Mirra Andreeva, and No. 30 Leylah Fernandez, with 2023 U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff playing during the night session. Novak Djokovic set another record by playing in his 430th Grand Slam match, surpassing Roger Federer. Despite dropping a set for the second consecutive match, Djokovic advanced to the third round with a 6-1, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-2 win over Jaime Faria. Other men who moved on included No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz, who joked about his “serve bot” status after hitting 14 aces in a 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 win over Yoshihito Nishioka.

Rafael Nadal announced Thursday he will retire from tennis at age 38 following next month's Davis Cup finals. Nadal won 22 Grand Slam singles titles during an unprecedented era he shared with his rivals in the so-called Big Three, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. In an announcement on social media, the Spaniard indicated his decision was related to persistent injury problems. Read: Spanish Tennis Maestro Rafael Nadal Wins Record 21 Grand Slam Titles “The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially. I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations. It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make. But in this life, everything has a beginning and an end,” Nadal said. Nadal added he was “very excited” to finish his career at the Davis Cup, which will be played in Malaga, Spain. Nadal has not played since the Paris Olympics, where he lost to old rival Djokovic in the second round of the singles tournament and reached the quarterfinals of the men’s doubles with Carlos Alcaraz. Read more: Rafael Nadal returns to top of ATP rankings

Novak Djokovic is set to be granted a visa to play in next year’s Australian Open despite his high-profile deportation in January. The Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Tuesday said it had confirmed newspaper reports that the immigration minister had overturned a potential three-year exclusion period for Djokovic. The Australian Border Force has previously said an exclusion period could be waived in certain circumstances — and that each case would be assessed on its merits. Read more: Paris Masters: Djokovic denied by unseeded Danish teenager Rune Immigration Minister Andrew Giles' office declined comment on privacy grounds, meaning any announcement on Djokovic’s visa status would have to come from the 35-year-old Serbian tennis star. The 21-time Grand Slam singles champion wasn’t allowed to defend his Australian Open title this year after a tumultuous 10-day legal saga over his COVID-19 vaccination status that culminated with his visa being revoked on the eve of the tournament. Djokovic arrived at Melbourne Airport as the world’s top-ranked tennis player with a visa he’d obtained online and what he believed to be a valid medical exemption to the country’s strict laws for unvaccinated travelers because it was endorsed by Tennis Australia and the government of Victoria state, which hosts the tournament. Confusion reigned, generating global headlines. As it transpired, that medical exemption allowed him entry to the tournament, which required all players, fans and officials to be vaccinated for the coronavirus, but not necessarily to enter the country. It was rejected by the Australian Border Force. Read more: Djokovic 2 sets down, rallies for 26th straight at Wimbledon Alex Hawke, Australia’s immigration minister at the time, used discretionary powers to cancel Djokovic’s visa on character grounds, stating he was a “talisman of a community of anti-vaccine sentiment.” Australia has had a change of government and changed its border rules this year and, since July 6, incoming travelers no longer have to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccinations. That removed the major barrier to entry for Djokovic. It allowed him to apply to new Immigration Minister Andrew Giles to reconsider his visa status. In his favor, Djokovic left Australia quickly after his visa was revoked and has not publicly criticized Australian authorities. As the Department of Home Affairs website explains, applicants in Djokovic’s circumstances must explain in writing to Australia's border authorities why the exclusion period should be put aside — “you must show us that there are compassionate or compelling circumstances to put aside your re-entry ban and grant you the visa.” Djokovic indicated Monday at the ATP Finals in Italy that his lawyers were communicating with the Australian government with a view to him contesting the Jan. 16-29 Australian Open.

Roger Federer is retiring from professional tennis at age 41 after a series of knee operations, closing a career in which he won 20 Grand Slam titles, finished five seasons ranked No. 1 and helped create a golden era of men’s tennis with rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Federer posted what he called a “bittersweet decision” via social media on Thursday, less than a week after 23-time major champion Serena Williams played what is expected to the last match of her career. Combined, the exits by two of the greatest athletes in their sport’s history represent a significant turning of the page. “As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries. I’ve worked hard to return to full competitive form,” Federer wrote on Twitter. “But I also know my body’s capacities and limits, and its message to me lately has been clear.” Federer has not competed since Wimbledon in July 2021, and so, in that sense, his news is not all that surprising. But he had appeared at an event marking the 100-year anniversary of Centre Court at the All England Club this July and said he hoped to come back to play there “one more time.” He also had said he would return to tournament action in his home country at the Swiss Indoors in October. In Thursday’s announcement, Federer said his farewell event will be the Laver Cup in London next week. That is a team event run by his management company. Federer is married and he and his wife, Mirka — a tennis player, too; they met as athletes at an Olympics — have two sets of twins. Read: Federer stunned by 55th-ranked Millman in US Open 4th Round He leaves with a total of 103 tour-level titles on his substantial resume and 1,251 wins in singles matches, both second only to Jimmy Connors in the Open era, which began in 1968. Federer’s records include being the oldest No. 1 in ATP rankings history — he returned to the top spot at 36 in 2018 — and most consecutive weeks there (his total weeks mark was eclipsed by Djokovic). When Federer won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003, the men’s record for most was held by Pete Sampras, who had won his 14th at the U.S. Open the year before in what turned out to be the last match of the American’s career. Federer would go on to blow way past that, ending up with 20 by winning eight championships at Wimbledon, six at the Australian Open, five at the U.S. Open and one at the French Open. His 2009 trophy at Roland Garros allowed Federer to complete a career Grand Slam. His serving, forehand, footwork and attacking style will all be remembered. Also unforgettable were his matches against younger rivals Nadal, 36, and Djokovic, 35, who both equalled, then surpassed, Federer’s Slam total and are still winning titles at the sport’s four biggest tournaments. Nadal now leads the count with 22, one ahead of Djokovic. “I was lucky enough to play so many epic matches that I will never forget,” Federer said in Thursday’s announcement. Also read: Federer marks 100th match on Rod Laver Arena with 3-set win Addressing his “competitors on the court” — although not by name — he wrote: “We pushed each other, and together we took tennis to new levels.” Federer’s last match anywhere came on July 7, 2021, when he lost at Centre Court in the Wimbledon quarterfinals to Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-0. Soon after, Federer had surgery to repair damage to his meniscus and cartilage in his right knee — his third operation on that knee in a span of 1 1/2 years. “Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt,” Federer said Thursday, “and now I must recognize when it is time to end my competitive career.”

One of the most prolific sports personalities in the 21st century, Serena Williams hinted at her decision to move on from professional tennis in a first-person essay for Vogue earlier in August. Serena dislikes the term "retirement," preferring to refer to it as an "evolution," as she explains in her essay.  Serena Williams is believed to have made her last professional tennis appearance against Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic on September 2, 2022, in the third round of the US Open and brought the curtain to her 27-year long illustrious career. Serena Williams' legacy as a tennis player is discussed in this article. Serena Williams' early life and family Born on September 26, 1981 in Saginaw, Michigan, Serena Williams is the youngest of two daughters of Oracene Price and Richard Williams. Serena’s oldest sister, Venus, was a renowned tennis player. The Williams family moved to California when their children were young. Serena began playing tennis when she was four years old. Serena and her family moved to Florida when she was nine so that she could attend the tennis academy run by Rick Macci. However, in 1995, Richard pulled his daughters out of Rick Macci's academy, and in the same year, Serena became a pro tennis player. Richard Williams has been his daughter's official coach all through their career. Her mother, Oracene Price, also guided her two daughters in the initial years of their careers. Aside from them, French tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou worked briefly with Serena from 2012 to 2022. Serena Williams married Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian on November 16, 2017 in New Orleans. Two months earlier, in September, Serena gave birth to her first child, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr, who is commonly known as "Olympia". Serena’s Tennis Career at a Glance Serena Williams is considered one of the most decorated players in both men's and women's tennis in the open era. Her 23 grand slam titles, most in the open era and the second-most of all-time, speak for themselves. Serena had to wait four years to win her first Grand Slam women’s singles event after making her professional tennis debut at the Bell Challenge in Quebec in October, 1995. Her first singles Grand Slam victory came at the US Open in 1999. In the following year, 2000, she won her first Olympic gold medal in the singles event. The next decade, the tennis world saw a complete domination by the William sisters, especially the younger one—Serena. Perhaps her greatest rivalry was against her sister, Venus Williams, with whom she also shared tremendous success in doubles events. At one point, the Serena-Venus pair was untouchable. Together they won 22 women’s doubles titles, which included 14 Grand Slam Women’s Doubles and three Summer Olympics Doubles titles. They were dominant, especially at Wimbledon, where they won six doubles matches. Their Olympic Doubles came in Sydney in 2000, Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012. Serena, on the other hand, always maintained dominance over Venus.

Much like for so many other folks, Serena Williams' last match at the U.S. Open was must-see TV for players still in the tournament, so Jessica Pegula and Petra Kvitova tuned in from their hotel rooms the night before their victories led off Saturday's schedule and set up a fourth-round showdown. “Of course I watched Serena. I'm like everyone else,” said Pegula, a 28-year-old American who is seeded No. 8 at Flushing Meadows and beat qualifier Yuan Yue 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-0. “You feel kind of sad that’s how it ends. But, I don’t know, like I got a little, like, sentimental, too, watching her, how emotional she was getting.” Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon champion from the Czech Republic, credited Williams' last stand — the owner of 23 Grand Slam titles fended off five match points before bowing out in three sets against Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday night in what is expected to be her final contest — with offering inspiration. “It was very special. She didn’t want to leave the court, for sure. That was the same case with me today, actually. I didn’t want to go out of this tournament, so I was just there hanging (in), somehow,” said Kvitova, who erased deficit after deficit, including a pair of match points, to edge Garbiñe Muguruza 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (12-10). Read:Let Serena define her legacy as she leaves tennis “That's what Serena showed last night,” said Kvitova, who dropped her racket and covered her face with her ends when what she called a “nightmare” of a tiebreaker was over. “It was nice to see her yesterday, fighting until the end.” Yes, Williams is gone, leaving the year's last major tournament — and, in some ways, the sport as a whole — without its biggest star and storyline. Still, the show must go on. So there was Kvitova, undaunted as ever, despite dropping the first set, despite trailing 5-2 in the third, despite being a point from defeat twice at 6-5. Here’s how close this one was: Kvitova won 109 total points, Muguruza 108. “Left everything on the court today,” said No. 9 Muguruza, a two-time Slam winner whose departure means the bracket was without six of the top 10 women before the third round was even done. No. 1 Iga Swiatek moved into the fourth round by beating Lauren Davis 6-3, 6-4; No. 6 Aryna Sabalenka was playing later Saturday. During the night session in Ashe, 22-time major champ Rafael Nadal improved his career mark against Richard Gasquet to 18-0 with a 6-0, 6-1, 7-5 victory. Nadal won the opening nine games and was on his way to improving to 22-0 in Grand Slam matches in 2022. Nadal did not have stitches or a bandage on his nose, two days after accidentally cutting it with his racket during his previous victory. “A little bit bgger than usual, but it's OK,” he said with a smile. “The nose is still there.” Nadal's win was followed in Ashe by Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins against Caroline Garcia. On Monday, Nadal will take on No. 22 Frances Tiafoe, the first American man since Mardy Fish in 2010-12 to get to the U.S. Open's fourth round in three consecutive years. Tiafoe eliminated No. 14 Diego Schwartzman 7-6 (7), 6-4, 6-4. Read: Serena Williams loses to Tomljanovic in US Open farewell It was going to be tough for any of the day's matches to live up to the sort of attention Williams drew, or the atmosphere she helped create, during her three-match run in Ashe. “I just can’t believe the ‘era of Serena’ on the tennis court is over,” Pegula said. “I mean, it’s just hard to picture tennis without her.” In other action Saturday, two-time Australian Open champion Viktoria Azarenka was a 6-3, 6-0 winner against Petra Martic; two-time major runner-up Karolina Pliskova beat Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Belinda Bencic 5-7, 6-4, 6-3; No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz, a 19-year-old Spaniard, defeated unseeded Jenson Brooksby, a 21-year-old Californian, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3; No. 7 Cam Norrie beat No. 28 Holger Rune 7-5, 6-4, 6-1 in the men's draw; No. 9 Andrey Rublev got past No. 19 Denis Shapovalov 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4, 7-6 (10-7); and 2014 U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic beat No. 20 Dan Evans 7-6 (11), 6-7 (3); 6-2, 7-5. Upcoming matchups include Azarenka vs. Bencic; Alcaraz vs. Cilic, and Norrie vs. Rublev. As for Kvitova-Muguruza, Rublev-Shapovalov required the new final-set tiebreaker format to determine the winner. The four Grand Slam tournaments agreed to adopt a uniform system this year, with the third sets of women’s matches and fifth sets of men’s decided by a first-to-10, win-by-two formula; the U.S. Open used to have the more traditional first-to-seven setup. Pegula's domination of her last set made that sort of thing entirely unnecessary. She had wasted a chance to close out the victory a half-hour earlier when she wasn't able to convert her match point, but quickly regrouped. Pegula started her Grand Slam career by going 3-8. She’s gone 22-7 since, including runs to quarterfinals at the Australian Open each of the past two years and the French Open this year. The 28-year-old American, whose parents own the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, came into Saturday with an 0-2 record in third-round matches at Flushing Meadows, including a loss to Kvitova in 2020. Pegula gets another shot at her Monday. “Petra is so hard to play. I feel like when she’s on, she blows you off the court. And then sometimes she can be off. .. She's a fighter. When it clicks, it’s really difficult,” Pegula said, then was sure to add: “I think I’m a much better player now than I was when I played her last time.”

After all of the many tributes to Serena Williams were done, the celebratory words and the video montages, the standing ovations and the shouts of her name, it seemed appropriate that she herself would provide the defining look at her legacy. So the last question at the news conference after her last match of the U.S. Open — and, it seems clear, of her career — offered Williams the chance to say how she’d most like to be remembered. “I feel like I really brought something, and bring something, to tennis. The different looks. The fist pumps. The just crazy intensity. ... ‘Passion,’ I think, is a really good word. Just continuing through ups and downs,” she responded Friday night. “I could go on and on. But I just honestly am so grateful that I had this moment — and that I’m Serena.” That captures so much about her so well. And to think: Williams, who turns 41 this month, did not even mention anything about being an elite athlete or any of the statistics that help define what she did with a racket in her hand. The 23 championships at the Grand Slam tournaments that have come to define success in her sport. Another 50 singles titles elsewhere. The 14 majors in doubles with her sister, Venus. The 319 weeks at No. 1. The four Olympic gold medals. So, sure, it’s impossible to assess Williams without considering her place in the pantheon of superstars, as worthy as anyone — woman or man, this generation or any other, this sport or any other — of the honorific “Greatest of All Time” (one clever spectator at Williams’ 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-1 loss to Ajla Tomljanovic held up a poster with, simply, a drawing of a goat). “She is an all-time great. Obviously, that’s an understatement,” said Martina Navratilova, an 18-time major winner who certainly is part of that whole conversation. But Williams is also about a lot more than that. No Black woman had won a Slam title since Althea Gibson in the 1950s until Williams came along and collected her first at the 1999 U.S. Open at age 17. Over the more than two decades since, Williams and Venus, who earned seven major singles trophies of her own, get credit for inspiring Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka and countless of others to play tennis, yes, but also for pushing plenty of others to change their views about what can be done and what can’t. Read: Serena Williams loses to Tomljanovic in US Open farewell “She embodies that no dream is too big,” Tomljanovic said. “You can do anything if you believe in yourself, you love what you do and you have an incredible support system around you.” There’s more. She won a Grand Slam title while pregnant, went through scary health complications after giving birth to her daughter, Olympia, in 2017, and would return to the tour and reach four more major finals. She has a venture capital firm that raised more than $100 million. “Everyone looks at her and tries to be like Serena,” said Caroline Garcia, a Frenchwoman seeded 17th and into the fourth round at the U.S. Open. “And I’m sure that’s going to be for years to come.” Williams wore what she wanted on a tennis court. She reacted how she wanted, during and away from her matches. She said what she wanted, sometimes addressing social issues, sometimes not, but there always was a sense that she was the one who decided. There were those who criticized her, of course. Those who wondered whether she was doing things the right way. Just as there were those who thought it was a mistake for her father, Richard, to keep his young daughters away from the junior tennis circuit. Um, seems as if that worked out, huh? “I will definitely (be) missing her on the courts,” Tomljanovic said, surely echoing the thoughts of many. “It will not be the same.” No, tennis most definitely will not be the same without Williams. Not even close. That’s OK, though. It’s time, as Williams famously wrote, for her to be “evolving” away from her days as a player. It’s time for her to devote extra energy to being a mom and a businesswomen and whatever else life brings her way. As Williams observed after hitting one last shot: “I have such a bright future ahead of me.”

Leave it to Serena Williams to not want to go quietly, to not want this match, this trip to the U.S. Open, this transcendent career of hers, to really, truly end. Right down to what were, barring a change of heart, the final minutes of her quarter-century of excellence on the tennis court, and an unbending unwillingness to be told what wasn’t possible, Williams tried to mount one last classic comeback, earn one last vintage victory, with fans on their feet in a full Arthur Ashe Stadium, cellphone cameras at the ready. The 23-time Grand Slam champion staved off five match points to prolong the three-hours-plus proceedings, but could not do more, and was eliminated from the U.S. Open in the third round by Ajla Tomljanovic 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-1 on Friday night in what is expected to be her final contest. “I’ve been down before. ... I don’t really give up,” Williams said. “In my career, I’ve never given up. In matches, I don’t give up. Definitely wasn’t giving up tonight.” She turns 41 this month and recently told the world that she is ready to start “evolving” away from her playing days — she expressed distaste for the word “retirement” — and while she remained purposely vague about whether this appearance at Flushing Meadows definitely would represent her last hurrah, everyone assumed it will be. “It’s been the most incredible ride and journey I’ve ever been on in my life,” Williams said, tears streaming down her cheeks shortly after one final shot landed in the net. “I’m so grateful to every single person that’s ever said, ‘Go, Serena!’ in their life.” Asked during an on-court interview whether she might reconsider walking away, Williams replied: “I don’t think so, but you never know.” A little later, pressed on the same topic at her post-match news conference, Williams joked, “I always did love Australia,” the country that hosts the next Grand Slam tournament in January. With two victories in singles this week, including over the No. 2 player in the world, Anett Kontaveit, on Wednesday, Williams took her fans on a thrill-a-minute throwback trip at the hard-court tournament that was the site of a half-dozen of her championships. The first came in 1999 in New York, when Williams was a teen. Now she’s married and a mother; her daughter, Olympia, turned 5 on Thursday. “Clearly, I’m still capable. ... (But) I’m ready to be a mom, explore a different version of Serena,” she said. “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.” With 23,859 of her closest friends cheering raucously again Friday, Williams faltered against Tomljanovic, a 29-year-old Australian who is ranked 46th. Williams gave away leads in each set, including the last, in which she was up 1-0 before dropping the final six games. Tomljanovic is unabashedly a fan of Williams, having growing up watching her play on TV. “I’m feeling really sorry, just because I love Serena just as much as you guys do. And what she’s done for me, for the sport of tennis, is incredible,” said Tomljanovic, who has never been past the quarterfinals at any major. “This is a surreal moment for me.” Then, drawing laughs, Tomljanovic added: “I just thought she would beat me. ... She’s Serena. That’s that’s just who she is: She’s the greatest of all time. Period.” Asked what she planned to do on the first day of the rest of her life Saturday, Williams said she’d rest, spend time with Olympia and then added: “I’m definitely probably going to be karaoke-ing.” Her performance with her racket Friday showed grit and featured some terrific serving, but it was not perfect. Read: Serena Williams not done yet; wins 1st match at US Open On one point in the second set, Williams’ feet got tangled and she fell to the court, dropping her racket. She finished with 51 unforced errors, 21 more than Tomljanovic. Williams let a 5-3 lead vanish in the first set. She did something similar in the second, giving away edges of 4-0 and 5-2, and requiring five set points to finally put that one in her pocket. From 4-all in the tiebreaker, meaning Williams was three points from defeat, she pounded a 117 mph ace, hit a forehand winner to cap a 20-stroke exchange, then watched Tomljanovic push a forehand long. Momentum appeared to be on Williams’ side. But she could not pull off the sort of never-admit-defeat triumph she did so often over the years. “Oh, my God, thank you so much. You guys were amazing today. I tried,” Williams told the audience, hands on her hips, before mentioning, among others, her parents and her older sister, Venus, a seven-time major champion who is 42. “I wouldn’t be Serena if there wasn’t Venus. So thank you, Venus,” Williams said. “She’s the only reason that Serena Williams ever existed.” They started in tennis as kids in Compton, California, coached by their father, Richard, who taught himself about the sport after watching on television while a player received a winner’s check. He was the central figure in the Oscar-winning film “King Richard,” produced by his daughters. The siblings lost together in the first round of doubles on Thursday night, drawing another sellout. And on Friday, as during the younger Williams’ other outings this week, there could be no doubt about which player the paying public favored. When Tomljanovic broke to go up 6-5 as part of a four-game run to take the opening set, one person in her guest box rose to applaud — and he was pretty much on his own. Otherwise, folks applauded when Tomljanovic double-faulted, generally considered a faux pas for tennis crowds. They got loud in the middle of lengthy exchanges, also frowned upon. They offered sympathetic sounds of “Awwwwww” when Williams flubbed a shot, and leapt out of their seats when she did something they found extraordinary. A rather routine service break was cause for a standing ovation. Tomljanovic draped a blue-and-white U.S. Open towel over her head at changeovers, shielding herself from the noise and distractions. “Just really blocked it out as much as I could. It did get to me a few times, internally. I mean, I didn’t take it personally because, I mean, I would be cheering for Serena, too, if I wasn’t playing her,” Tomljanovic said. “But it was definitely not easy.” After Williams struck a swinging backhand volley winner to take a 4-0 lead in the second set, her play improving with every passing moment, the reaction was earsplitting. Billie Jean King, a Hall of Famer with 39 total Grand Slam titles across singles, doubles and mixed doubles, raised her cellphone to capture the scene. “You’re everywhere!” yelled Williams’ husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, from a courtside guest box that also contained power couple Ciara and Russell Wilson. When Williams drove two consecutive forehand winners to lead 5-2 in the second set, she screamed and leaned forward after each. She could not sustain that level. Williams entered the night having won 19 times in a row in the U.S. Open’s third round of singles competition, including reaching at least the semifinals in her most recent 11 appearances in New York. Talk about a full-circle moment: The only other third-round loss she’s ever had at Flushing Meadows (she is 42-0 in the first and second rounds) came in 1998, the year Williams made her tournament debut at age 16. She would win her first major trophy 12 months later at the U.S. Open. And now she said goodbye in that same stadium.   “It’s been a long time. I’ve been playing tennis my whole life,” Williams said Friday night, after performing one last twirl-and-wave move usually reserved for victories. “It is a little soon, but I’m also happy because, I mean, this is what I wanted, what I want.”