Serena Williams bowed out of the WTA Cincinnati Open on Tuesday, losing in straight sets to US Open champion Emma Raducanu.
Williams, who last week indicated that she is planning to retire after this month’s US Open, was no match for British teenager Raducanu, who romped to a 6-4, 6-0 first-round win.
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The 40-year-old Williams left the court swiftly after the defeat without speaking to television reporters and did not hold a press conference.
What a send off 👏👏👏@serenawilliams | #CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/jxHYIk5J06
— wta (@WTA) August 17, 2022
Having won the title in 2014 and 2015 in Cincinnati, Williams was competing in only her fourth match of 2022 after starting her season at Wimbledon due to injury.
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Raducanu meanwhile said she was honoured to be part of the spectacle on Tuesday in what was one of Williams’ final games as a professional.
“We all need to honour Serena and her amazing career,” she said. “I’m so grateful for the experience of playing her and for the fact that our careers have crossed.
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“All she has achieved is inspirational. It’s a true honour to share the court with her.”
Williams’ elder sister Venus took a 7-5, 6-1 loss earlier in the day, losing to 2016 champion Karolina Pliskova.
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In the men’s draw of the joint event, Nick Kyrgios began the last major US Open tune-up with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
