Serena Williams

Will Smith should be forgiven for Oscar slap, says Serena Williams

Tennis legend Serena Williams believes that Hollywood star Will Smith should be forgiven for the "mistake" of slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars last year

I am not retired, the chances of return are very high, says Serena Williams

The 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams said she has not retired from tennis yet and that the chances of her returning to the court are "very high"

As Serena leaves, Nadal loses, Federer and Djokovic absent, is era over?

Serena Williams, you might have heard, played what's expected to be her last match at the U.S. Open. Rafael Nadal lost in the fourth round. Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer (more on them later) weren't even in the tournament. Those four players dominated, and were the main draws, in tennis for decades, collecting a total of 86 Grand Slam singles titles, each with at least 20. And so, as the quarterfinals began at Flushing Meadows on Tuesday without any member of that quartet present, it made sense to ask: Is this the end of an era? The 36-year-old Nadal sounded a philosophical note about the topic after he was bounced by 24-year-old American Frances Tiafoe 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Monday. "Some depart, others come and the world keeps going. It's a natural cycle," said Nadal, who noted that his wife is pregnant with their first child and so he isn't sure when he will play next. "It's always the same. The same one have been up there several years; others are coming and we will be leavin

Tennis star Serena Williams forever changed how brands see female athletes

Williams lost to Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic in three sets at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York on Friday

Serena, Venus Williams lose to Czech pair in 1st round of US Open doubles

Serena and Venus Williams traded fist bumps or palm slaps and chatted between points. They smiled while conversing in their seats at changeovers. When their first doubles match together in 4 1/2 years ended with a loss at the U.S Open on Thursday night, the siblings hugged each other, then left the court to a standing ovation. The Williams sisters were eliminated by the Czech pair of Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova 7-6 (5), 6-4 at Flushing Meadows. "I was speechless when I found out I'm going to face these two. I mean, they're legends. And I was always such a big fan of them, especially Serena. She has been my idol since ever, probably," said Noskova, a 17-year-old making her Grand Slam debut in doubles. "So I was really happy, excited, but kind of scared, to face them." Arthur Ashe Stadium had never hosted a first-round doubles match for women or men, during the night or day until this one featuring two members of one family who have combined to claim 14 Grand Slam titles in .

Serena Williams beats No. 2 seed Kontaveit at US Open to reach 3rd round

Serena Williams can call it evolving or retiring or whatever she wants. And she can be coy about whether or not this U.S. Open will actually mark the end of her playing days. Those 23 Grand Slam titles earned that right. If she keeps playing like this, who knows how long this farewell will last? No matter what happens once her trip to Flushing Meadows is over, here is what is important to know after Wednesday night: The 40-year-old Williams is still around, she's still capable of terrific tennis, she's still winning and, like the adoring spectators whose roars filled Arthur Ashe Stadium again she's ready for more. Williams eliminated No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-2 in the U.S. Open's second round to ensure that she will play at least one more singles match at what she's hinted will be the last tournament of her illustrious career. There's still a little left in me, Williams said with a smile during her on-court interview, then acknowledged during her post-match news

'Absolutely nothing to lose': Serena Williams comes up big in US Open win

Williams defeated World No.2 Anett Kontaveit 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-2 on Wednesday before another raucous, rollicking record crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium

Venus Williams, Emma Raducanu, Naomi Osaka all out in US Open 1st round

The welcome and support for Venus Williams in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday afternoon were not the same as they were for her sister, Serena, a night earlier. Nor was the result. Venus, who turned 42 in June, has not made any pronouncements about her future in tennis, unlike her younger sibling, and while she has been successful and influential, too a seven-time Grand Slam champion; a Black woman in a predominantly white sport the fanfare and attention are not the same. Playing in front of thousands of empty blue seats in an arena quite silent at the start, although growing louder later, Venus bowed out in the first round of the U.S. Open for the second consecutive appearance, losing 6-1, 7-6 (5) to Alison Van Uytvanck. She means so much to female tennis. Tennis, in general, Van Uytvanck said. She's a legend. This was the 23rd trip to Flushing Meadows for Venus, who made it to the final in 1997 as a teen then won the trophy in 2000 and 2001, and her record 91st time participating

Amid retirement speculation, Serena Williams draws 2.7 mn viewers to ESPN

The audience was the biggest ever for the first day of the tournament, according to ESPN

Serena Williams not done yet; wins 1st round match of her last US Open

They came from far and wide for Serena no last name required, befitting someone as much an icon as superstar athlete to see her practice and play and, it turned out, win a match at the U.S. Open, turning out in record numbers to fill Arthur Ashe Stadium and shout and applaud and pump their fists right along with her. Serena Williams is not ready to say goodbye just yet. Nor, clearly, are her fans. And she heard them, loud and clear. In her first match at what is expected to be the last U.S. Open and last tournament of her remarkable playing career, even if she insists that she won't quite say so, Williams overcame a shaky start to overpower Danka Kovinic 6-3, 6-3 amid an atmosphere more akin to a festival than a farewell. What memory will stick with her the most from the evening? When I walked out, the reception was really overwhelming. It was loud and I could feel it in my chest. It was a really good feeling, said the owner of six U.S. Open championships and 23 Grand Slam titl

Serena Williams' example: Tennis icon's impact felt in Black America

In 2016, responding to the fatal police shootings of two Black men just a day apart, Serena Williams joined a small chorus of top Black athletes in speaking out. I won't be silent! she vowed. Have we not gone through enough, opened so many doors, impacted billions of lives? Williams asked in a Facebook post in the wake of the back-to-back killings of Philando Castile just outside St. Paul, Minnesota, and Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I realized we must stride on for it's not how far we have come but how much further still we have to go, she wrote. That wasn't the only time Williams would wade into the politically thorny topic. It's an outspokenness for which other Black athletes, from Muhammad Ali to Colin Kaepernick, have paid a steep professional price. After nearly three decades in the public eye, few can match Williams' array of accomplishments, medals and awards. Through it all, the 23-time Grand Slam title winner hasn't let the public forget that she's a Black ..

Retiring Serena Williams believes she will always be involved in tennis

Retiring legend Serena Williams has indicated she "will always have some sort of involvement" in tennis as she prepares for the US Open, in what will be the final Grand Slam of her career

Serena Williams' legacy: Plenty of wins, plenty of stands on issues

A couple of days before Serena Williams claimed the 22nd of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles at Wimbledon in 2016, she was asked what she makes of it

Serena William's choice to retire a tough call which resonates with women

Serena Williams said it plainly: It isn't really fair. A male athlete would never have to make the same choice

Serena announces impending retirement, says 'evolving away from tennis'

Serena Williams says she is ready to step away from tennis after winning 23 Grand Slam titles, turning her focus to having another child and her business interests. "I'm turning 41 this month, and something's got to give," Williams wrote in an essay released Tuesday by Vogue magazine. Williams said she does not like the word retirement and prefers to think of this stage of her life as "evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me." Williams is playing this week in Toronto, at a hard-court tournament that leads into the U.S. Open, the year's last Grand Slam event, which begins in New York on Aug. 29. The American has won more Grand Slam singles titles in the professional era than any other woman or man. Only one player, Margaret Court, collected more, 24, although she won a portion of hers in the amateur era.

Hadn't won in so long: Serena Williams earns first win of season in Toronto

She picked up her first victory since the 2021 French Open on Monday, beating Nuria Parrizas-Diaz 6-3, 6-4 at the women's National Bank Open

Williams set to play in WTA 1000 event in Toronto after losing at Wimbledon

After a disappointing run at Wimbledon 2022 where she lost in the first round, former World No 1 Serena Williams is set to play her first North American hard-court event in two years

Serena Williams loses at Wimbledon in first match in a year after comeback

Serena Williams began and ended her comeback at Wimbledon after 364 days out of singles competition looking very much like someone who hadn't competed in just that long

Wimbledon 2022: Seven things that make this grass-court Grand Slam unique

Leading Russian Tennis players like the world number 8 Andrey Rublev, world no. 22 Karen Khachanov and even the reigning world number one Daniil Medvedev won't be able to take part in the Championship

Serena Williams wins 1st match of women's doubles after her comeback

As "What A Feeling" boomed around Devonshire Park, Serena Williams strode onto center court at Eastbourne to a standing ovation for her first competitive tennis match in nearly a year