Serena Williams Loses in US Open, Immediately Casts Doubts About Retirement

23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams is officially out of the 2022 US Open after losing to Australian Alja Tomljanovic.

Williams was emotional after the loss, which came in front of a hugely partisan crowd at the Arthur Ashe Tennis Center.

She was asked in the postgame interview about reconsidering her retirement announcement and didn’t immediately deny it, saying ”I don’t think so, but you never know. I don’t know.”

Her recent announcement that she would be retiring imminently now seems to be, at least somewhat, in jeopardy.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 02: Serena Williams of the United States reacts after being defeated by Ajla Tomlijanovic of Australia during their Women's Singles Third Round match on Day Five of the 2022 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 02, 2022 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

In the second round, Williams had pulled a stunning upset over the number 2 seeded Estonian Anett Kontaveit.

After that win, she gave an off-putting interview that came across as extremely arrogant:

Her comments, that she was unsurprised at how well she was playing because she’s Serena, did not age particularly well given Friday’s result.

But then again, she’s never been able to handle aging well, previously blaming biology for being unfair, forcing her to retire ”early” at age 40.

For her part, Tomljanovic said in her interview she put no pressure on herself, assuming Williams would win:

“I assumed she would beat me so there was no pressure”

If she does stay true to her word, this would be her last Grand Slam appearance, with her final major win coming at the 2017 Australian Open.

But if that post match uncertainty means anything, tennis might not have seen the last of Serena Williams.