The US Open will put on a farewell ceremony for Serena Williams as she prepares to retire from tennis.
Williams will play Danka Kovinic on Arthur Ashe later today, August 28, with 100 invited guests to attend the sold-out the occasion
The 40-year-old Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam winner, is expected to retire after her home major, meaning Monday’s match could be her last in singles competition if she were to lose.
According to the New York Post, the 23,800 sell-out crowd will watch on after her match as US tennis pays tribute to her stunning career.
The publication adds that Williams will around 100 guests on hand, comprising of family and friends, to watch her in action.
Williams heads into Monday’s match with a 1-3 record since returning to action at Wimbledon earlier this year.
The 27-year-old from Montenegro heads into the Williams showdown in a five-match losing streak. But even if Williams loses Monday, there will be one other opportunity to see her on the court as she is also competing in the doubles alongside her sister, Venus.
Upon announcing her plans to retire in early August in Vogue, Williams said: ‘I have never liked the word (retirement).
‘It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me. I’ve been thinking of this as a transition, but I want to be sensitive about how I use that word, which means something very specific and important to a community of people.
‘Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution,’ she continued. ‘I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me.’
Williams not only wants to spend more time with her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, and their five-year-old, Olympia, but she is hoping for another child.
‘In the last year, Alexis and I have been trying to have another child, and we recently got some information from my doctor that put my mind at ease and made me feel that whenever we’re ready, we can add to our family,’ Williams wrote.
‘I definitely don’t want to be pregnant again as an athlete. I need to be two feet into tennis or two feet out.’
