Serena Williams has a dream run in U.S. Open but loses in what might be final tournament

Tennis players grow up fantasizing about becoming the best player in the world and winning the most coveted prizes in the game.

For most, even those who carve out a lucrative career in the sport, securing the No. 1 ranking and winning even one Grand Slam title can be a stretch of the imagination.

But for 40-year-old Serena Williams, who many refer to as the GOAT — Greatest of All-Time — the dream became a reality.

She is truly a living legend. For much of her 27-year career, the South Florida resident had a stranglehold on the top ranking as well as in collecting major trophies.

In all, Williams won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, one shy of Margaret Court’s record of 24. And she spent 319 overall weeks at No. 1 with 186 of those weeks coming consecutively from Feb. 2013 to Sept. 2016.

As is always the case, a dream ends when you wake-up. After much deliberation of late, and after missing a year of play with injury from Wimbledon 2021 to Wimbledon 2022, Williams awakened to the truth it’s time to enjoy new adventures beyond tennis.

So, unless she has second thoughts, it will remain etched in history forever that on a glorious Friday night at the 2022 US Open, Serena Williams hit a final career tennis ball — a forehand into the net.

As is Williams’ way, she did formulate a dramatic conclusion to a remarkable career. She fought her heart out in a 7-5, 6-7 (7-4), 6-1 third round loss to the unseeded, 29-year-year old Ajla Tomljanovic, a Croatian-born, Australian citizen who has lived for years in Boca Raton.

The 3-hour, 5-minute encounter was the longest match Williams ever played in the 21 times she appeared at the US Open.

She served for the first set at 5-3, but couldn’t secure the advantage. She served for the second set at 5-3, but had to wait to even the score in a tiebreaker. And even when down 5-1 in the final set, she fought off five match points before surrendering to the inevitable.

When the final ball was hit, the Tina Turner classic “Simply The Best” started to blare from speakers around the stadium. It was Tomljanovic, the conqueror, who patiently stood by as Williams offered final good-bye thoughts, thanking her family, friends and fans for their unwavering support.

“It’s been a fun ride,” she said, shedding “happy tears.” “Most incredible ride I’ve ever been in through my life.”

She then offered a special tribute to her sister, Venus, 42, a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, who has yet to announce when she will vacate the game. The two siblings won 14 coveted Grand Slam doubles titles together.

“I wouldn’t be Serena if there wasn’t Venus, so thank you, Venus,” said Serena, as her sister sat courtside, nodding her head and wiping away tears. “She’s the only reason that Serena Williams ever existed.”

When it was Tomljanovic’s turn to talk she nearly apologized to the crowd for doing the unthinkable — most probably retiring Williams.

“She embodies that no dream is too big,” Tomljanovic said. “I’m really feeling sorry because I love Serena as much as you guys do.

“She’s the greatest of all time, period.”

Since last month’s Vogue magazine cover story unveiled Williams’ suggestion the US Open would be where she “evolves” away from tennis, the testimonials have been non-stop. Through all three rounds she played, the United States Tennis Association feted the “queen” of tennis with a career video montage ahead of every match.

What’s next? Living some semblance of a real life.

There’s also the hope of granting 5-year-old daughter Olympia’s greatest wish of becoming a big sister.

“It takes a lot of work to get here,” Williams said. “Clearly, I’m still capable. It takes a lot more than that.

“I’m ready to, like, be a mom, explore a different version of Serena. Technically, in the world, I’m still super young, so I want to have a little bit of a life while I’m still walking.”

In truth, Williams picked the right moment in time to say farewell.

The pandemic took her away from the treadmill of the tour and showed her a glimpse of the future. When the tour started up again, she played spottily, and then when forced to retire with a leg injury from her first-round match at 2021 Wimbledon, she didn’t play again for a year.

Time lost caused her ranking to plummet to a current No. 605, and this year her match record is an unimpressive three wins and four losses.

Nevertheless, if South Florida tennis fans are worried they no longer have someone from home to follow, that fear is likely unfounded.

All they need to do is turn their attention from Palm Beach Gardens to Delray Beach where 18-year-old Coco Gauff has been preparing to take over where the Williamses leave off.

Gauff, who reached her first career Grand Slam final at this year’s French Open, is into the U.S. Open fourth round for the first time in her career with a 6-2, 6-3 win over former Boca Raton resident Madison Keys on Friday.

“Serena, THANK YOU. It is because of you I believe in this dream,” Gauff posted on social media. “The impact you’ve had on me goes beyond any words that can be put together, and for that I say thank you, thank you, thank you, GOAT!”

It’s worth noting that while Gauff, and everyone else, is sending career congratulation messages to Williams, retirement still remains a four-letter word she refuses to use.

Although she sounded more comfortable with the decision to “evolve” in a reflective press conference after the match, Williams coyly mentioned the first Grand Slam of every year is a favorite when asked if this is definitely good-bye.

“I always did love Australia, though,” she said, smiling, before presumably leaving the U.S. Open for a final time as a player.