Serena Williams

A tearful Anett Kontaveit admitted it was “difficult to cope with the crowd” during her defeat to Serena Williams at the US Open.

“It was so difficult to cope with the crowd and everything. “I am surprised that she can keep it up but we’ve seen Serena do this at Grand Slam tournaments when she hasn’t had a lot of matches. “In the first set she was serving so well in these important moments. She is a threat now. “It was her moment. I was trying to do my own thing. She was better today. She definitely raised her level in the third set. I was very aware of that.” “It’s not a shame to lose to Serena,” she said in tears. Kontaveit conceded that the partisan support was “tricky” to handle but said she still felt the crowd was “fair”. A tearful Anett Kontaveit admitted it was “difficult to cope with the crowd” during

After winning 23 Grand Slam titles, Serena Williams is engaged in what may be her final tournament at the US Open. The 40-year-old announced this month she ...

She also owns 14 Grand Slam doubles championships, all won with her older sister Venus. After winning 23 Grand Slam titles, Serena Williams is engaged in what may be her final tournament at the US Open. After winning 23 Grand Slam titles, Serena Williams readies to step away from tennis.

With 38 major championships between them, Tiger Woods and Serena Williams both know about longevity.

[loss to 19-year-old Emma Raducanu](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/08/17/serena-williams-emma-raducanu/?itid=lk_inline_manual_7&itid=lk_inline_manual_11) on Aug. And I’m going to miss you.” Her trip to Wimbledon this summer [ended with a first-round loss](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/06/28/serena-williams-wimbledon-first-round-harmony-tan/?itid=lk_inline_manual_11) and an injury when she slipped on wet grass. I’m going to miss that version of me, that girl who played tennis. “He’s Tiger, and he was adamant that I be a beast the same way he is! At that point, she said she “was good. You just go out on the court every day for two weeks and give it your all and see what happens.’ I said, ‘All right, I think I can do that.’ ” For now, her evolution is on hold. 2 player](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/08/31/serena-williams-round-2-us-open/?itid=lk_inline_manual_2) in the world in the U.S. Her last match before the U.S. [took the court to face the No. Williams had played just four matches in the past 14 months, winning only once.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion advanced after claiming a third set packed with haymakers and winners, beating the second-ranked woman in the world.

“I guess there’s just a light at the end of the tunnel,” she added. “I don’t know, I guess I’m closer to the light, so . Three weeks ago at a tournament in Toronto, she had struggled to finally win something, anything, even if it was two brief sets over a player outside of the top 50, Nuria Parrizas Diaz. Her style of play, all thrust and pummeling attack, has taken an enormous toll on her body over the years — and she has been playing in the wake of a Caesarean section and two pulmonary embolisms. After suffering a first-round loss at Wimbledon to Harmony Tan, she said: “Today was what I could do. A few weeks ago, she was done, played out, scrabbling for confidence and just hoping for a decent ceremonial farewell at the U.S.

Venus and Serena will play in what could be their final doubles match as teammates on Thursday. Let's check the stats on how sensational they are in singles ...

She won gold in singles and doubles at the 2000 Games, doubles at the 2008 Games and doubles at the 2012 Games. 1](https://www.espn.com/tennis/news/2002/0223/1339623.html) in the WTA rankings and spent 11 weeks there. She trails Navratilova (9), Serena (7) and Graf (7). That's the most by any player in the Open Era. 367 and 73: Serena has won 367 major matches, the most by a woman in tennis history. Williams won the 2017 Australian Open at 35 years, 124 days old, becoming the oldest woman to win a title in the Open Era. 1 in the WTA rankings, becoming the oldest person to hold the top spot. 1 and 2 in the WTA rankings. Serena again has the edge with a 7-2 record. 14: Entering the 2022 US Open, Venus and Serena have won 14 women's doubles Grand Slams as partners. It's also the first women's doubles night session there since the Williams sisters lost to Nadia Petrova and Maria Kirilenko in the third round in 2012. It's the first doubles night session at Arthur Ashe since Mike and Bob Bryan defeated Colin Fleming and Jonathan Marray in the men's doubles quarterfinals in 2013.

Women's tennis expert Jose Onorato has revealed his U.S. Open 2022 picks for the first-round matchup in women's doubles between Serena Williams-Venus ...

Venus has 22 doubles titles in her career, racking up a record of 185-37 (83.3 percent), while Serena has 23 doubles crowns and a 192-34 (85 percent) mark. [Visit SportsLine to see Jose Onarato's bets for the 2022 U.S. Noskova, meanwhile, is just 17 but has been climbing up the singles rankings and is listed at No. She has registered a 614-282 (68.5 percent) mark since turning pro in 2004. Open 2022 odds and released his coveted best bet for the Serena Williams-Venus Williams vs. Noskova has won one ITF doubles title, while Hradecka has won two grand slam doubles titles, the last coming in the 2013 U.S. The last time was in 2003. Open doubles title in 2009, and have not combined to win a doubles championship since the 2016 Wimbledon crown, their sixth in that event. Now, Onorato has scrutinized the latest U.S. Caesars Sportsbook lists Serena Williams-Venus Williams as the -175 favorite (risk $175 to win $100) on the money line, while Linda Noskova-Lucie Hradecka is at +130. Linda Noskova-Lucie Hradecka doubles picks or 2022 U.S. Open tennis doubles championship together when they take on Linda Noskova and Lucie Hradecka in a first-round match on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Since the Williams sisters first burst into tennis in the 1990s, their legacy has been tied to one another. They will play doubles in perhaps the final ...

Serena will remain in the spotlight. Early in the week, Serena, 40, described Venus as “my rock” and spoke of how important it was to have Venus be part of this week’s celebration. The murder of their half sister Yetunde Price in 2003. “This decision needs to be all hers and her family’s,” Venus said. It’s a grind for top competitors like the Williams sisters, who for years made it their business to reach the last stages of almost every event they played. They were 20 and 19 at the time. After announcing plans to “evolve” away from tennis once she strikes her last ball here, she is the darling of the tournament and indeed the sports world — lauded and feted and dripping in diamonds and light for her swan song. “She’s the boss so I do whatever she tells me to do,” she said. They are the yin to the other’s yang. We tend to take the greats for granted, especially when greatness comes in two. They will play doubles in perhaps the final tournament of their careers. Serena Williams, of course, has been the unquestionable North Star of this U.S.

Serena Williams, looking to further delay the end of her storied tennis career, will take on world No. 2 Anett Kontaveit of Estonia at the US Open in ...

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We asked Kenyan political sociologist and gender expert Awino Okech what lessons can be learned for African women in sports when reflecting on Williams' career.

[Naomi Osaka](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/57310701) and US gymnastics champion [Simone Biles](https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/07/simone-biles-olympics-mental-health-athletes/#:%7E:text=United%20States%20gymnast%20Simone%20Biles,up%20about%20their%20mental%20health.) taking a stand. [due to privatisation](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7223727/). The first is the absence of strong financial advice and support to athletes over the course of their careers. She [withdrew from and boycotted](https://www.insider.com/venus-serena-williams-indian-wells-boycott-before-naomi-osaka-incident-2022-3) events such as the BNP Paribas Open in California because of racial slurs from the crowd. In the visual and verbal descriptions of Serena in the public media, we saw the use of historically [racialised tropes](https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2018/09/11/long-history-behind-racist-attacks-serena-williams/) of the angry Black woman and animalistic caricatures by the media and social media users. The financial security built of decades of success in a sport does not translate in the same way in contexts shaped by vast economic disparities. The race problem in sports – which becomes visible through online abuse, spectator behaviour and overall sports management – is reflective of a broader problem. [One study](https://digitalhub.fifa.com/m/58e4c303ca2197f5/original/FIFA-Threat-Matrix-Report.pdf) revealed that Black football players who missed penalties were the most abused players in the Euro 2020 championship final stage. [Serena Williams](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Serena-Williams), considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, is [retiring](https://www.vogue.com/article/serena-williams-retirement-in-her-own-words) from professional tennis. However, the combination of race and gender doubles the battle that Serena Williams and other international athletes like South African sprinting champion Williams has won 23 grand slam singles titles, more than any [other woman](https://www.statista.com/statistics/280390/female-tennis-players-with-the-most-victories-at-grand-slam-tournaments/) or [man](https://www.statista.com/statistics/263034/male-tennis-players-with-the-most-victories-at-grand-slam-tournaments/) during the professional era, which began in 1968. Consequently, Serena’s iconic stature as a tennis star has been coloured by the gender and racial dynamics that have shaped her treatment in the sport.

They will face off in a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday, a venue that feels like home to Williams even if it has not always been a haven.

Kontaveit and Shelby Rogers, her American partner, could also face Williams and her sister Venus in the second round of the women’s doubles tournament. For Anett, I think the key is to just go out and try to play her best tennis but also enjoy the moment. “I think her ball speed, serve and return is really up to her prime time,” Beltz said of Williams. It’s going to be a big challenge, a great challenge, but I think she wants that challenge and wants to embrace it.” This will be Kontaveit’s first match with Williams but not the first match Beltz will coach against Williams. Though Kontaveit reached the final of the Qatar Open in February, this has been a trying season. “She was not fit, but she’s very close again to get this back and is playing better in practice really well now. “I couldn’t get a ticket,” Beltz said. But it’s great to face a champion, I think. Kontaveit, a prodigy who won the Estonian women’s singles title at age 13, received instruction from her mother Ülle Milk in her formative years. “I think it’s such a great opportunity.” More novelty lies ahead on Wednesday night in the second round of the U.S.

Diamond-clad veteran Serena Williams produced some of her best tennis since reaching the Australian Open semi-finals last January to reach the third round ...

"The crowd played a huge part and I think they even eclipsed her. The dream lives on." Cowan added: "Serena has been massively undercooked coming into the US Open. [skysports.com/tennis](http://www.skysports.com/tennis), our Twitter account [@skysportstennis](https://twitter.com/SkySportsTennis) & Sky Sports - on the go! I really enjoy just coming out and enjoying it." Tennis analyst Barry Cowan told Sky Sports' Raz Mirza: "If you asked me before the tournament, I'd have said absolutely not. I love a challenge and I'm rising to the challenge. "I'm just looking at it as a bonus. The last couple of matches it's come together. It was good, because I didn't know what I wanted to do. "I haven't played many matches, but I've been practising really well. I'm a pretty good player, this is what I do best.

Of course Serena Williams is confident. She deserves to be. And her opponents know that her improving game and overwhelming crowd support make beating her ...

There are no Grand Slam singles champions left in Serena’s quarter of the draw and only one left in her half: the unseeded Canadian Bianca Andreescu, who beat Williams in the 2019 U.S. “I was hearing the crowd and it like scared me, even though I was playing on a different court,” Tomljanovic said. “I just feel like I have had a big red X on my back since I won the U.S. Open swan song: Pete Sampras, who won the 2002 men’s title in what turned out to be his final tournament. “I do this trick where I feel like the crowd is cheering for me as well,” she said. But with Williams preparing, in her words, to “evolve away from tennis,” the U.S. It’s got to be really tough for her opponents: to face her and face the crowd.” So it has turned out, and Tomljanovic, like nearly all of Williams’s opponents in this latest comeback, has never played her before. But her singles draw certainly gets one thinking about the possibility of a deeper run. It has been quite a team effort so far: Williams rolling back the years and five tiers of stands packed to the roof in sold-out Arthur Ashe Stadium with fans wholly committed, perhaps for the first time, to showing Williams nothing but love in a venue where she has generated ambivalence in the past with her outbursts and, at other times, with her dominance as she racked up six U.S. “She was a little banged up in Cincy,” Hechtman said. “There’s no rush here,” Williams said with a grin, alluding to her impending evolution.

This is this week's ForbesWomen newsletter, which every Thursday morning brings news about the world's top female entrepreneurs, leaders and investors ...

[America’s Richest Self-Made Women](https://www.forbes.com/self-made-women/), Forbes interviewed her about her plans as an investor and featured her in a cover story for the magazine. But with a little bit of innovation and a shift in your perspective, you Learn to get along with the most difficult person at your work. Difficult coworkers can hijack your emotions and energy. [A tweet last night](https://twitter.com/ByTimReynolds/status/1565159379640455169) from Associated Press writer Tim Reynolds helps put her success into perspective: Williams’ first U.S. Here’s a look back at what Williams told us about the early days of her life as an entrepreneur. Three years later, that firm has grown: In March this year, it said it had [raised $111 million](https://twitter.com/SerenaVentures/status/1498662870770401287?s=20&t=9kovpL4zl2kwzQ5XNQ1gXg) from investors for a portfolio of some 60 companies. “I mean, I’m just Serena,” she replied, earning raucous laughter from the crowd. I hope you can draw some inspiration from it, too. Serena Williams might have come to the U.S. [asked Williams if she was “surprised” by her level of play](https://e.email.forbes.com/c2/869:6307b95612b7670eff23a398:ot:5d13e0471802c8c524fc40ef:1/33715430?jwtH=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9&jwtP=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&jwtS=VX5NBz54PB14covaNa3xOzulgRaFo7CwsNMcwTo8JKk) during her upset win, Williams gave a knowing laugh. Open for a goodbye tour, but make no mistake: She is playing to win.

When Anett Kontaveit was preparing for the U.S. Open, little did she know how much of a spectacle her second match would become. The world No.

[lost to Serena Williams on Wednesday night](https://www.si.com/tennis/2022/09/01/serena-williams-us-open-upsets-kontaveit?utm_source=recommendations&utm_medium=in-article&utm_campaign=end-of-story), experiencing a true road-game atmosphere as much of the crowd was on Williams’ side. The 26 year-old Estonian has yet to make it past the quarterfinals of a major, but her rise to being ranked No. 2 in the world should mean she will have plenty of opportunities to make a run for a major title in the future.

Perhaps most interestingly, SerenaMania is attracting new fans to Tennis Twitter. Thirty percent of users who tweeted about Williams in August had not tweeted ...

Per information provided to Front Office Sports from Twitter, conversation on the app during the peak hour of Williams’ Wednesday night match — a three-set upset over No. - The three hashmojis are among the top five most used hashtags in Serena conversations during the tournament. - #serenawilliams and #serena are two of the top three hashtags used in all tennis conversations globally during the US Open.

Tiger Woods was in attendance at Arthur Ashe Stadium for Serena Williams' second-round victory over world No. 2 Anett Kontaveit.

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Tennis analyst Barry Cowan breaks down Andy Murrays crunch US Open third-round blockbuster against Matteo Berrettini, Serena Williams next big match on Ashe ...

"I think Berrettini is a nightmare opponent for him. "I think Tomljanovic is the favourite. "He is a born winner. "Khachanov will be a very similar type of game style. "What is becoming quite obvious to me when I watch a lot of Jack Draper's matches is that his opponents don't like playing him. [skysports.com/tennis](http://www.skysports.com/tennis), our Twitter account [@skysportstennis](https://twitter.com/SkySportsTennis) & Sky Sports - on the go! I think Berrettini is a nightmare opponent for him. "All the hard work that I've put in the last few years is for these moments. Murray said: "Matteo has had a bit of an unlucky year to be honest. Tennis analyst Barry Cowan thinks Murray would have liked a different type of opponent. So, I am expecting it to be really difficult. It was a tough three-set match.

Serena and Venus Williams face Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova in the first round of the women's doubles event at the U.S. Open. Follow along for live ...

Now, with just a few practice sessions, she’s a factor for her 24th Grand Slam singles title after knocking off the second-ranked player in the world, 26-year-old Anett Kontaveit, with a performance so mighty and moving that you thought the crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium was going to start a rockslide with its clamor. A few weeks ago, she was done, played out, scrabbling for confidence and just hoping for a decent ceremonial farewell at the U.S. With every double-fisted backhand and flail-like forehand, the marvel builds and builds.

When Serena and Venus Williams take the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday night, they will add another line to their résumé: It is the first time a ...

[Lisa Delpy Neirotti](https://business.gwu.edu/lisa-delpy-neirotti), a professor of sports management at George Washington University, said that as Williams continues her run at the U.S. “It’s good to see, especially people of color.” “I’ve mostly been kind of blocking everything out, but then at the same time I’ve been embracing a little bit of it because I also want to enjoy the moment,” she said. For me, it’s really about having a little embrace but also understanding that I’m here to focus, do the best that I can this time.” For the wider tennis world, it’s also a chance to draw new fans to the game before she retires. “Turn all of these messages about access and toppling conventional wisdom and diversity into a spike in participation,” Wertheim said. “Eventually, another star will fill the void. I think it’s just been pretty cool to watch.” It’s a chance to sell the most tickets, draw higher TV ratings and pack the surrounding plazas. Putting Williams in the first match of a night session in the stadium with the most seats makes sense for the U.S. A prime time slot in the largest stadium at the U.S.T.A. Open women’s doubles match will be played in a night session at Ashe.

The Williams sisters are teaming up for the first time in a Grand Slam tournament since 2018. They will play Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova of the Czech ...

In April, Kostyuk and several other players from Ukraine called for ruling organizations of tennis to ask players from Russia and Belarus if they supported the war and to denounce it if they did not. (Or in the case of Serena and Venus Williams, a sibling.) Tickets in the midlevel of Ashe were selling for about $3,000, and more than $9,000 in the lowest level of the stadium. Putting Williams in the first match of a night session in the stadium with the most seats makes sense for the U.S. The prize money is lower for doubles than for singles (and even less for mixed doubles than for men’s and women’s doubles). Those who want a better view of the Williams sisters will need to pay substantially more. Usually, the main goal of the player positioned at the baseline is to get to the net. “I know they haven’t played in a little while but I feel like you can never count them out,” Mattek-Sands said of the Williams sisters. Serena and Venus Williams will be competing in doubles Thursday night against Linda Noskova and Lucie Hradecka, both of the Czech Republic. The first bit of trivia is that tonight’s match is the team’s ninth appearance in doubles at the Open. In the meantime, here are some fun facts about the Williams sisters as a doubles team, according to U.S. She glances up to a large video screens near the top of the stadium above the baselines.

Tiger Woods was on hand for Serena Williams' inspiring victory on Wednesday at the U.S. Open. That made a lot of sense.

After all, she had come in ranked outside the top 400 in the world and she’d beaten the World No. He was in the moment. “He’s one of the reasons I’m here, one of the main reasons I’m still playing,” she told reporters. She eked out the first set in a tiebreak but dropped the second set 6-2, setting the stage for a pivotal third set. She wound back the clock and pummeled her way to a 6-2 victory, making it official: the comeback was still on. And over and over he leapt to his feet after a pivotal point, unleashing the sort of fist pumps we associate with made putts in majors of his own. It was fitting that Woods was there on Wednesday night as America took in Williams’ second-round match at the U.S. How cool was it to see Woods going full-throttle in the stands? You just go out on the court every day for two weeks and give it your all and see what happens.'” Williams on the city courts of Compton. Woods grew up on the munis of L.A. Who could relate better to the struggle of the other?

Sometimes the biggest golf news comes courtesy of tennis. Such was the case at the U.S. Open on Wednesday night as Tiger Woods cheered on Serena Williams.

Open on Wednesday night as Tiger Woods cheered on Serena Williams. Now, though, the spotlight is on Williams, with Woods doing the cheering. Williams, 40, helped break a night-session record with 29,959 fans at Arthur Ashe Stadium to catch her second-round match. In a first-person essay that ran in Vogue early last month, Williams announced she was headed toward retirement. The 23-time major champion Williams has announced her intention to “evolve” away from professional tennis but on this night defeated No. Such was the case at the U.S.

As Venus Williams nears the end of her career, she has been reserved about her retirement plans -- but Thursday night's doubles match was still the end of ...

The competitive fire is burning as bright as it ever has for these two, and though they fell to a straight-sets defeat, it was not for want of intensity, focus or desire. Since her return to competitive tennis -- her first match back in 11 months due to injury was at this year's Wimbledon in the mixed doubles -- the line of questioning has shifted to figuring out why she's back and what her motivation is to continue playing this sport. "This is a 2-woman wrecking crew," said Questlove in the montage. She frequently uses the word "grateful" whenever asked how she's feeling. It was Serena who led the two to practice. We've all been 2 lucky as for 2 decades we've watched 2 of the greatest athletes, showing us how 2 can become 1." "I just kind of felt like my role is to make sure I don't influence her in any way, and that this decision needs to be all hers and her family's," Venus said. Had Noskova's attention wavered for the briefest second, she'd have seen a host of footage from before she was alive. "I feel like it's been very important for her to be a part of this," Serena said Monday. She has taken a supportive role in Serena's farewell tour, one in the shadow of her younger sister. Venus of course answered the call. Barring a change of heart, Serena has indicated she will leave the sport in the next 10 days.

The sisters were a late addition to the doubles draw, getting a wild card mainly as a means to shake off some rust. They flashed, but didn't last long.

The sisters rallied to even the match at 4-4, but Noskova, 17 years old and making her Grand Slam tournament doubles debut, served excellently. They took a 5-4 lead in a tight first set and powered their way to two set points but couldn’t convert either. Open — not as a doubles partnership but in the first final they contested against each other, in 2001. It happened to fall on the fifth birthday of her daughter, Olympia. They accepted a wild card into the tournament Saturday in large part as a way to get more matches under their belts. The sisters met the Czech duo of Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova for a first-round doubles match.

Venus and Serena will play in what could be their final doubles match as teammates on Thursday. Let's check the stats on how sensational they are in singles ...

She won gold in singles and doubles at the 2000 Games, doubles at the 2008 Games and doubles at the 2012 Games. 1](https://www.espn.com/tennis/news/2002/0223/1339623.html) in the WTA rankings and spent 11 weeks there. She trails Navratilova (9), Serena (7) and Graf (7). That's the most by any player in the Open Era. 367 and 73: Serena has won 367 major matches, the most by a woman in tennis history. Williams won the 2017 Australian Open at 35 years, 124 days old, becoming the oldest woman to win a title in the Open Era. 1 in the WTA rankings, becoming the oldest person to hold the top spot. 1 and 2 in the WTA rankings. Serena again has the edge with a 7-2 record. 14: Entering the 2022 US Open, Venus and Serena have won 14 women's doubles Grand Slams as partners. It was the first doubles night session at Arthur Ashe since Mike and Bob Bryan defeated Colin Fleming and Jonathan Marray in the men's doubles quarterfinals in 2013 and the first women's doubles night session there since the Williams sisters lost to Nadia Petrova and Maria Kirilenko in the third round in 2012. The two sisters began their professional careers in 1994 and 1999, respectively, winning many majors and profoundly impacting the sport.

The sisters were beaten 7-6 (5) 6-4 by Czech duo Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova.

She was emerging as the key player against her fellow veterans and, although Serena and Venus retrieved an early break to get back to 4-4, a break of the Serena serve settled the contest. When it was announced Serena and Venus would be playing doubles, it had appeared this might be the former’s last match, but her success in singles gave this contest a slightly different complexion. There will be no farewell grand slam title in doubles for Serena Williams after she and sister Venus lost in the first round of the US Open.

As Venus Williams nears the end of her career, she has been reserved about her retirement plans -- but Thursday night's doubles match was still the end of ...

The competitive fire is burning as bright as it ever has for these two, and though they fell to a straight-sets defeat, it was not for want of intensity, focus or desire. Since her return to competitive tennis -- her first match back in 11 months due to injury was at this year's Wimbledon in the mixed doubles -- the line of questioning has shifted to figuring out why she's back and what her motivation is to continue playing this sport. "This is a 2-woman wrecking crew," said Questlove in the montage. She frequently uses the word "grateful" whenever asked how she's feeling. It was Serena who led the two to practice. We've all been 2 lucky as for 2 decades we've watched 2 of the greatest athletes, showing us how 2 can become 1." "I just kind of felt like my role is to make sure I don't influence her in any way, and that this decision needs to be all hers and her family's," Venus said. Had Noskova's attention wavered for the briefest second, she'd have seen a host of footage from before she was alive. "I feel like it's been very important for her to be a part of this," Serena said Monday. She has taken a supportive role in Serena's farewell tour, one in the shadow of her younger sister. Venus of course answered the call. Barring a change of heart, Serena has indicated she will leave the sport in the next 10 days.