Serena Williams’ legendary tennis career likely over after third-round singles’ play loss at US Open
Novak Djokovic has a record number of Grand Slam titles
Serena Williams leaves court after the U.S. Open for the first time since the conclusion of her Open era on Thursday, losing the first set of the third-round singles match on her fifth match point. (AP file photo)
Serena Williams, who has won the U.S. Open, Australian Open and French Open, said Thursday she had no plans to retire after her third-round defeat at the U.S. Open on Thursday.
“I don’t know what will happen,” the 30-year-old American said with a huge smile as she left the third-seeded Williams in tears in the second set. “All I know is that it just happened. I feel terrible.”
Williams, who lost to 14th-seeded Marin Cilic in the third round 6-4, 6-4, said her loss could be a turning point for her life.
“I’ve had losses that have changed my life and I don’t know how much more I can take,” she said. “It wasn’t the right year for me”
Although Williams has struggled against Cilic in the past, the second-seeded Croatian has yet to win a Grand Slam title, with only the 2004 Australian Open title his.
“I think what I can take out of the last match is this is what I have to do to have a chance to advance in the tournament,” said Cilic, who has lost only once in his last 16 matches against Williams.
Williams said losing the match was “heartbreaking” and that she was “definitely going to be mentally exhausted for the next few days.” She did admit the loss hurt her, but also because she felt like she had been playing well.
Williams’s career win-loss record against Cilic is 3-2. That includes a second-round