Serena Williams kicked off her final U.S. Open run on Aug. 29 with her husband, Alexis Ohanian, and daughter, Olympia Ohanian, who turns five on Sept. 1, cheering her on from the crowd. Serena took the court in a black tennis outfit, which sparkled with the starry design emblazoned across the fabric. Underneath, she wore a sheer, black long-sleeved shirt. Meanwhile, Olympia was wearing a mini version of the same ensemble! She completed her look with her hair in braids for the match.
Earlier this month, Serena announced that she would be leaving tennis after the U.S. Open in order to expand her family with Alexis. She made it clear that she does not like the word “retirement,” and referred to the transition as “evolving” instead. However, the potential for this tournament to be the last time that Serena plays professionally has made headlines in the weeks leading up to the first match.
On night one of the U.S. Open, Serena defeated Danka Kovinic in two sets, winning each 6-3. This moved her onto the second round on Aug. 31, where she’ll have to take on the number two seed, Annett Kontaveit. The time of their match in Queens has yet to be confirmed.
Regardless of how Serena’s journey comes to an end in this tournament, it’s safe to say it’s going to be an emotional goodbye when she steps off that court for the last time. On Aug. 10, Serena lost another one of her final matches at the Canadian Open, and she got visibly emotional. The 40-year-old is admittedly “terrible at goodbyes,” by made sure to address the crowd before walking off the court. “It’s just been so memorable,” she said, through tears. “I love playing here, I’ve always loved playing here. I wish I could’ve played better, but Belinda played so well today. This is what it is. I was really happy to be out here today and play in front of you guys.”