Serena Williams, has no plans of returning to the court “for now.” In an interview with Gayle King for “CBS Mornings,” the GOAT was asked by King if there are any plans for a comeback.
“It’s hard to say,” the 41-year-old mother and 23-time Grand Slam singles champion replied to King. “I would say no. For now, no. I’ve literally given my whole life to tennis, and it’s time for me to give my life to something else.”
“I’ve literally given my whole life to tennis and it’s time for me to give my life to something else”: @serenawilliams is moving away from the tennis court — for now, at least.
In an exclusive interview, the GOAT and @alexisohanian tell @GayleKing what’s next for their family. pic.twitter.com/S7JQCO4kZe
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) February 1, 2023
Williams noted during the interview that her father Richard has been pushing for her to get back on the court as well.
“He’s like, ‘Serena you should play two more Grand Slams,'” Williams said. “I’m like, ‘Dad, stop.'”
There is no greater underdog story in American sports history than that of Serena and Venus Williams.
The audacious and visionary Richard had a plan.
A Black family from Compton, California, was going to take over the predominantly white country club sport of tennis.
Richard held firm to his plan and marched to the beat of his own drum, eschewing the traditional path that the majority of other tennis players followed. From the outset Serena and her family were cast as others and outsiders. Whether it be from fellow players, coaches, and the media.
“My plan was simple: to bring two children out of the ghetto to the forefront of a white-dominated game. Could it be done? I hoped so. In fact, I was beyond hope. I was certain,” Richard Williams wrote in his 2014 memoir, “Black and White.” “Eliminating the last doubts from my mind, I wrote a final seventy-five-page tennis-training plan for myself, Oracene, and my daughters-to-be, detailing every step of the road we would travel, more than two and a half years before they were both born.”
Simple in imagining, but nearly impossible in application. But the Williams family made it a reality.
Serena’s won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, four Olympic gold medals. She’s been ranked No. 1 in the world for 319 weeks, including 168 consecutive weeks.
Venus has won seven Grand Slam singles titles, 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with Serena, four Olympic gold medals and a silver. She too was ranked No. 1, becoming the first Black woman in the Open era to do so.
Serena Williams has just announced plans to retire after the U.S. Open.
➖ 73 Singles Titles
➖ 23 Grand Slam Singles titles
➖ 14 Grand Slam Doubles titles
➖ 4 Olympic Gold Medals
➖ $94M in prize moneyA legend 🐐 pic.twitter.com/rt6a6RaqFl
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) August 9, 2022
There is so much Serena has going away from the court, including taking care of her 5-year-old daughter Olympia who wants to be a big sister.
“Now, she prays for a sibling,” Serena laughed. “I’m working on it.”
