Serena Williams on retirement decision: "I’m evolving away from tennis"

Serena Williams' has revealed that the "countdown has begun" to the end of her competitive tennis career.

The four-time Olympic gold medallist posted on Instagram on Tuesday (9 August), saying "There comes a time in life when we have to decide to move in a different direction.

"That time is always hard when you love something so much."

"My goodness do I enjoy tennis. But now, the countdown has begun."

"I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me, she added in an interview with Vogue magazine.

The American is widely recognised as the greatest of all time in women's tennis and returned to the court at Wimbledon 2022 after a break of a year.

Serena is currently in action at the Canadian Open, a warm-up event for the US Open in September, which she's expected to play in, weeks before turning 41.

"I wasn’t ready to win Wimbledon this year. And I don’t know if I will be ready to win New York. But I’m going to try. And the lead-up tournaments will be fun," she said.

Williams added she'll "relish these next few weeks" before her retirement from the sport.

"I have to focus on being a mom, my spiritual goals and finally discovering a different, but just exciting Serena."

"These days, if I have to choose between building my tennis résumé and building my family, I choose the latter."

The younger of the tennis-playing Williams sisters, Serena turned pro in 1995 when she was 14, and has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most ever in the Open era, and one behind the record set by Australia’s Margaret Court.

The former world number one also claimed 16 doubles titles at grand slams (14 in women’s and two in mixed).

Her formidable partnership with sister Venus won them the women's doubles gold medals at Sydney 2000, Beijing 2008, and London 2012, while Serena also won singles gold for Team USA in London.