It had to happen at some point, so Serena tells us today that she will end her career in the near future. The whole thing is being announced in a grand flash today thanks to a gorgeous cover in Vogue magazine. As anything involving the big stars is first and foremost a big marketing ploy, it’s easy to imagine the major champion saying goodbye to the competition at the US Open. After all, it was there that the younger proved in 1999 that she was ready to outdo everyone on the circuit, including her sister and idol Venus, by winning her first singles Grand Slam.

Serena is an extraordinary champion, for whom the topic of retirement is taboo, even uncomfortable to discuss. However, she does not hesitate to admit that she admires Ashley Barty who retires in full glory after winning the title in Melbourne this year, established as world number one. Williams would also like to emulate her great friend Caroline Wozniacki, who has been looking forward to ending her competitive career as she feels nothing but happiness and relief since putting down the rackets.

We also kind of understand Serena’s great reluctance to end her career. She absolutely loves putting on a show, sharing that immense desire to pursue her dreams, no matter what path she has to take to achieve her goals. How many times, when threatened, Serena tries to manage an overflow of emotions to prove that Compton’s little girl is the best! Rarely have I seen a competitor ply his trade with so much rage in his heart. Sometimes this allowed him to create spectacular reversals in his favor. At other times, as during her last four Grand Slam finals to first equal and finally surpass the great Margaret Court’s 24 titles, this excess, an overabundance of mismanagement of energy, will lead her to great pain. Getting sent off, giant outbursts, death threats to a linesman, borderline “goodbye” attitude, nothing helps her to be calm enough to excel and just play well when the pressure is on.

Can you imagine how complicated his life has been since losing his 4th consecutive final in New York in 2019 to our very own Bianca Andreescu? The cursed virus is stopping any kind of momentum she had, the injuries are slowing her down, she wants to go back but she can’t. Finally, her coach Patrick Mouratoglou, with whom she collected ten Grand Slam crowns, gives her an ultimatum: “I see you next Monday at the training ground where I am free from any agreement with you. The rest we know: Patrick is now coaching Simona Halep while Serena magically returns to Eastbourne to play doubles with Ons Jaber and finally try her luck at Wimbledon. She bows out from the start to Harmony Tan, in a somewhat insane match, proving to us that the great champion she was is far from a decent level and… that the end is near.

The good news is that Serena checked in with her therapist. She still hates the word ‘retirement’, but is now proud of her 23 Grand Slams, 73 total singles titles and four Olympic gold medals. Three decades of starving herself to death also saw her at No. 1 in the world for 186 consecutive weeks tied with Steffi Graf, another great lady of tennis. Above all, she has amassed a colossal fortune that allows her to invest in all the causes close to her heart. He adds: “Millionaire and billionaire men encourage each other, so why shouldn’t I push for the advancement of the entrepreneur starting out, the one suffering from poverty or struggling to develop talent? young due to lack of resources? So here’s our Serena ready to experience beautiful things at the height of her new dreams. By the way, he is trying to have another child since Alexia would like a sister…

A little anecdote in closing: the last time I interviewed Serena was at the Parc Jarry interchange a few years ago. She just won her match and comes to my side smiling and feeling good about herself. I whisper it in her ear when I know she’s taking French lessons, because Moliere’s language fascinates her. “Serena, let’s do the interview on center mic and live on TV in French. Trust me, people will love you.” She agrees and offers to play. From her first words, the crowd erupts with joy while Serena’s eyes are full of stars, just happy to be the bearer of happiness. Every time I meet her during the week, she shows me with a big smile on her face and an intense gaze.

According to L’Équipe’s Sophie Dorgan, Serena has spent her entire career trapped in the hands of the opposition: the one who kills on the court and the one who lacks a mother. I agree that she has long since found her strength in anger. Let’s hope in this new stage of his life that will have an even greater impact on society that all the last experiences, even if difficult, will have allowed him to form a balance. In closing, I quote Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of United States President Franklin, in the 1930s and 1940s: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams”…Dreams, Serena has a full head now. ..