Serena Williams’ legendary tennis career likely over after third-round singles’ play loss at US Open
Serena Williams’ legendary career is likely to come to an end after she was knocked out of the third round of a major.
The world No. 1 said she was looking at pulling out of the tournament in Boston later on Sunday, with the loss a major blow to her hopes of winning her 18th grand slam title.
The 35-year-old was one of three players who lost in the opening round of Wimbledon, and despite a good start to the season, the American has struggled as far as her defence is concerned.
Speaking to the BBC, she said: “I know this can happen to me at any time and it’s not necessarily just about it. I’ve been up and down and I’m thinking about a lot of different things.
“I just have to keep my head up. For me, these things just happen. You never know. You just have to look, listen to my coaches and listen to my family and look forward and not back.
“I’ve had good years, but it’s just been one bad stretch.”
‘When this is over, it’s over’
The loss on Centre Court at the US Open was her eighth of the season and left her facing a quarter-final bout with Dominika Cibulkova, who beat Petra Kvitova on court 4 in the second round.
It also meant Williams lost her place at the Australian Open and next month’s season-ending clay court season.
“Of course, it’s a hard time for anyone,” said Williams. “The first time when I won it was the best time of my life.
“The second time I played a lot of good matches but not the best matches. The third time, not so much.
“It’s an easy thing to say but this (match) was an interesting thing because I was getting a lot of points in the
