ALL-TIME tennis great Serena Williams yesterday said she’s walking away from the sport after the U.S. Open, writing that she’s in the midst of a “transition” from the court.
In an essay posted by Vogue, Williams said she has “never liked the word retirement. It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me.”

However, she said in no uncertain terms that she’s about to leave the sport she’s dominated for decades.
“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 added.

The winner of 23 major singles titles, Williams said she “wasn’t ready to win Wimbledon” this year.
“And I don’t know if I will be ready to win New York,” she said, a reference to the U.S. Open. “But I’m going to try. And the lead-up tournaments will be fun.”

In an Instagram post, Williams added: “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.”
Williams, who has a 4-year-old daughter, hinted that she wants to grow her family – while also bemoaning the societal pressures heaped on women.

Female athletes don’t get the chance to be like quarterback Tom Brady, who just turned 45 and is still an elite player, according to Williams.
“Believe me, I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family. I don’t think it’s fair,” she wrote. “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 labour of expanding our family. Maybe I’d be more of a Tom Brady if I had that opportunity.”

She added: “But I’m turning 41 this month, and something’s got to give.”
Williams wrote that she leaned on the advice of her friend and all-time golf great Tiger Woods before coming to this decision.
“He said, ‘Serena, what if you just gave it two weeks? You don’t have to commit to anything. You just go out on the court every day for two weeks and give it your all and see what happens’. ” she wrote.

Williams insisted she’s never been much for imagining how history books will reflect on her career.
“I don’t particularly like to think about my legacy,” the tennis icon penned. “I get asked about it a lot, and I never know exactly what to say. But I’d like to think that thanks to opportunities afforded to me, women athletes feel that they can be themselves on the court. They can play with aggression and pump their fists. They can be strong yet beautiful.”

Williams’ last Grand Slam singles title came at the 2017 Australian Open, when she bested her trailblazing older sister Venus Williams, who has won seven major singles titles.
Serena Williams’ essay dropped a day after she won a match for the first time this year, beating Nuria Parrizas-Diaz 6-3, 6-4 at the women’s National Bank Open in Toronto. (NBC Sports)