Tweets About Serena Williams’ Retirement At The US Open Honor A Legend

The 2022 U.S. Open brought a bittersweet moment for Serena Williams and her legions of fans: her retirement. Ahead of the tournament, she announced in a Vogue essay that she’s “evolving away” from the sport she’s played at the highest levels for 27 years, making her third-round loss on Friday, Sept. 2 likely her last-ever match. The event drew a massive, star-studded crowd to New York City’s Arthur Ashe stadium — and an equally impressive and emotional one on Twitter.

Still coming back from a year off, Williams battled valiantly against Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic. Not only did she push the match to three sets, she fought off five match points before ultimately falling 5-7, 7-6, 1-6. “I tried,” she told the crowd afterward. “If I would’ve just played a little bit better…” Although her effort didn’t move her into the fourth round, it did bring her and many fans to tears as they reflected on what she described as an “incredible ride” over the years.

Among the many people honoring the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion after the match were celebrities and public figures who are in awe of her greatness. Former First Lady Michelle Obama, for example, shared how “proud” she was. “How lucky were we to be able to watch a young girl from Compton grow up to become one of the greatest athletes of all time,” she tweeted, in part.

Williams has made a name for herself as one of the greatest athletes of all time, and since game recognizes game, it’s no surprise that tweets also came from other uber-successful sports stars. The likes of Simone Biles, LeBron James, Michael Phelps, and more congratulated her on her incredible career. Biles, in particular, thanked Williams “for transcending sports for black athletes, female athletes and every athlete.”

Of course, the tennis world made sure to celebrate its legend. Tennis stars past and present let Williams know how much she means to them and the sport.

There was plenty to say about Williams’ greatness. Her accomplishments both on and off the court were the subject of many tweets.

People also highlighted the icon’s impact on the Black community in particular, and how she paved the way by being unapologetically herself. “Serena and Venus really was the blueprint for Black girls to show up authentically US and take over spaces that was not meant for us. On and off the court,” one person tweeted. “The confidence and power they walk in has been inspiring and motivating to watch in their careers.”

After everything Williams gave fans, some just wanted to say thanks. She’ll be very missed as she moves on to her next chapter.

Now it’s onto being “Serena 2.0” for Williams.