New York. She ruled the entire city for a few magical days.
But now Serena Williams’ saga is over in New York.
The 40-year-old lost a thriller in three sets at Arthur Ashe’s Castle in Flushing Meadows last night, ending her brilliance at the US Open – possibly forever.
“It was a great trip,” she said with tears in her eyes after the defeat to Australian Agla Tomljanovic.
No, it’s not 100% sure that she intends to retire, a tennis icon who, however, now only refers to the US as “Serena” – in the same way that Sweden doesn’t say anything other than “Zlatan”, because when it comes to a bigger lion From life itself, nothing more is needed than a first name.
She was visibly vague about the matter and mostly muttered that at some point in the future it would be time to move on in life, but New York isn’t taking any chances. this is could The 40-year-old’s last show will be in a city that sees itself as the natural home of all the superstars on Earth, and so the matches at Arthur Ashe Stadium in the glowing Flushing Meadows in Queens last week are becoming unmissable events.
As if it was Muhammad Ali’s last fight in the ring, Michael Jordan’s last ride around basketball hoops or Wayne Gretzky’s last change on the ice. Even Harry Styles was not competitive. He’s, surprisingly, making fifteen appearances at Madison Square Garden in a row now, but Serena is bigger. She ruled the capital of the world in the beautiful late summer days – in her majesty.
Tomljanovic has been withdrawn
And last night the fever gained new momentum and rose towards the level of pure vanity, because the Queen of Queens – if I may use such a vague expression – played her third game in a row at the massive tennis castle a few kilometers east of Manhattan.
This time it was Australian Agla Tomljanovic who was dragged into the Arthur Ashe Theater for sacrifice at the Serena Altar.
Usually you should have won fairly easily. Serena may have previously been the world number one for 186 consecutive weeks, but today she is 604th and Tomljanovic is 46th on the WTA list.
But the “ordinary cases” do not exist when the great legends offer one last dance dance. Most recently, on Wednesday, the 604th managed to defeat Estonian world number two Anett Kontaveit in a three-seater in New York that is already considered a classic.
“Stable,” a cynical waiter snorted at Smith & Wolinsky’s steakhouse that night, for a frustrated contemporary thought everything unusual and unexpected should be fake, but of course it isn’t. This can actually happen when an old champ becomes inspired to perform a farewell and above all: It can actually happen when New York gets close to one of its biggest favorites.
The US Open has always been a challenge for tennis players accustomed to respectful silence and a sober atmosphere. Planes take off at LaGuardia Airport and descend constantly behind the arc of the runway on one short side, the police sirens sound in the evening, subway trains on the elevated tracks nearby creak and rattle every five minutes like the old tune of Ramones and the crowd … Well, try telling yourself what Nearly 24,000 New Yorkers eager to catch the horn. On Friday nights like the one just passed, the Arthur Ashe Pot is nothing short of a modern version of the Colosseum in ancient Rome. Spectators shout beer and cocktails, shout and cheer, cheer loudly and joyfully even to the mistakes of opponents. Athlete? Not at all, but you simply have to find yourself in it if you want to perform here. New York is New York.
Maybe she did it
As if that wasn’t enough, celebrities have been bustling in the stands in recent days – just as they are rowdy, in their love for the American Queen. The likes of Tiger Woods, Vice President Kamala Harris, Bill Clinton, Lindsey Vonn, Mike Tyson, Jared Leto, Dionne Warwick, Seale, Ben Stiller, Hugh Jackman and Queen Latifah crowded onto prominent stadium seats and swarmed along Serena’s choirs.
It was too much for poor Annette Kontaveit on Wednesday and too much for Tomljanovic last night. She won the first set 7-5 and returned from 0-4 in the second, but after an amazing drama, which culminated in a gas-embracing tiebreak, she had to give up anyway. Only in the third did the forty-sixth force force 604 to surrender.
thus Serena Williamswho, as in the previous games, lit up Friday night with superb creativity for the match group, may have done his part.
Here as well as everywhere.
Plus she played against all odds in this tournament, she could certainly have lasted longer, and she didn’t quite shut the door when she thanked New York after Tomljanovic’s match point, but that I was Presumably her last goodbye.
A little cocky, one might think. New York would have caught fire if this wonderful story had continued. At the same time, I’m probably not alone among those here tonight hoping we’ve seen the end point of a warm September evening.
You want to be able to say you were a witness when one of tennis’ greatest saints fired his last serve.
