(September 2, 2022) Ajla Tomljanovic ended the career of Serena Williams on Friday night when the Australian beat the 23-time major champion 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-1 in over three hours in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

It was a very back and forth match in the first two sets. After being broken to open the match, Williams ran up a 5-3 lead, serving for the first set but could not close it out. The Australian won the next four games to take away the first set 7-5.

In the second set Williams jumped out to a 4-0 lead and needed a tiebreaker to stay in the match winning it 7-6(4).

Although the third set was 6-1, Williams fought off five match points before she lost.

“I’ve been down before. I don’t really give up,” the almost 41-year-old Williams said after the match. “In my career, I’ve never given up. In matches, I don’t give up. Definitely wasn’t giving up tonight.”

As for the Aussie, she said in her on-court interview: “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. “This is a surreal moment for me.”

 “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.”.

“It was some really great moments today,” Williams said. “Not today, but this week, has been really great. Just so much support, so much love. It was really amazing and overwhelming. So grateful for it. I am so grateful for it.”

“And I just feel like, you know, the whole crowd was really wanting to push me past the line. I’m so thankful and grateful for that.”

During her news conference, Williams talked about the future: “

“I’m definitely resting tomorrow, and then probably spending some time with my daughter. I’m a super hands-on mom. I’ve been with her almost every single day of her life, minus two days or three days.

“Yeah, it’s been really hard on her, my career. So it will be, you know, nice just to do that and spend some time with her, do things that I never really have done or had an opportunity to do.

“Yeah, I have such a bright future ahead of me. I don’t know.

“Also I’m kind of at an advantage because COVID happened. I think everyone shut down for a year. We kind of got to see what our lives would be like if we weren’t playing tennis. Then I got injured last year, so I took off literally a year. So I got to see, again, like, what every day would be like to wake up and not have to go to the gym.

“So I don’t know. I think I’m definitely probably going to be karaoke-ing tomorrow.”

How does she want to be remembered?

 “I mean, there’s so many things to be remembered by. Like the fight. I’m such a fighter. I don’t know.

“I feel like I really brought something, and bring something, to tennis. The different looks, the fist pumps, the just crazy intensity. I think that obviously the passion I think is a really good word.

“Yeah, yeah, just continuing through ups and downs. I could go on and on. But I just honestly am so grateful that I had this moment and that I’m Serena, so.

“It’s not sad tears, you know? It’s just like…

“I don’t even know how to describe it.”

“It was some really great moments today,” she said. “Not today, but this week, has been really great. Just so much support, so much love. It was really amazing and overwhelming. So grateful for it. I am so grateful for it.

“And I just feel like, you know, the whole crowd was really wanting to push me past the line. I’m so thankful and grateful for that.”

During her on-court interview Williams said:

“I tried. Ajla just played a little bit better.

“Thank you, Daddy. I know you’re watching.

“Thanks, Mom (tearing up). Oh, my God.

“Just I thank everyone that’s here, that’s been on my side so many years, decades. Oh, my gosh, literally decades.

“But it all started with my parents. And they deserve everything. So I’m really grateful for them.

“Oh, my God. These are happy tears, I guess. I don’t know.

“And I wouldn’t be Serena if there wasn’t Venus, so thank you, Venus. She’s the only reason that Serena Williams ever existed, so…

“I don’t know. Just everyone from Jill to Isha to my sister Lyn, to my husband, Olympia, to Jarmere. Everyone in that box there today. Alexis, Kristy, Derrick .

“It’s been a fun ride. It’s been the most incredible ride and journey I’ve ever been on, I mean, in my life. I’m just so grateful to every single person that’s ever said, Go, Serena, in their life. I’m just so grateful. Yeah, I mean, you got me here.”