In a poignant turn of events at the Western & Southern Open, Serena Williams’ farewell tour took an unexpected twist as the American tennis legend suffered a 6-4, 6-0 opening-round loss to rising British star Emma Raducanu. This defeat marks one of the last tune-up events before Williams embarks on the final Grand Slam of her illustrious career at the US Open.
With just one professional tournament remaining before her swan song at the US Open, Serena Williams hoped to use the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, Ohio, as a stepping stone to tie Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam titles. The sold-out crowd witnessed a fierce opening set where Williams, known for her powerful serves, unleashed back-to-back aces to cut Raducanu’s lead to 4-3. The atmosphere was electric, and it seemed like Williams might turn the tide.
However, the 19-year-old Raducanu, who stunned the tennis world with her victory at the 2021 US Open, demonstrated her mettle by clinching the first set and then breaking Williams’ serve to dominate the second set. With an unreturnable serve on match point, Raducanu sealed the victory, ending their first-ever meeting on a high note and setting up a clash against the two-time major winner, Victoria Azarenka.
Williams, who will turn 41 next month, acknowledged the crowd’s support with a wave before leaving the court. She chose not to speak to the media following her loss. On the other hand, Raducanu graciously paid tribute to the tennis icon on the court, stating, “I think we all just need to honor Serena and her amazing career. I’m so grateful for the experience of getting to play her and for our careers to have crossed over. Everything she has achieved is so inspirational, and it was a true honor to share the court with her.”
Serena Williams, a former world No. 1, had already won four major titles by the time Raducanu was born in November 2002. Her most recent Grand Slam victory occurred in 2017 when she was pregnant with her daughter, Olympia, who was present in the crowd, witnessing her mother’s final chapter in professional tennis.
In other tournament action, former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka faced a similar fate, as she was defeated 6-4, 7-5 by China’s Zhang Shuai. Osaka, who has been working her way back from an Achilles’ tendon injury, struggled to find her rhythm in her third tournament back. Despite firing down 10 aces, she committed 29 unforced errors and converted just one of four break chances. The four-time Grand Slam champion’s return to action has been marred by inconsistency, with her previous outing ending in an early retirement due to lower back pain in Toronto.
Zhang Shuai’s impressive victory sets up a meeting with Russian player Ekaterina Alexandrova, who defeated Leylah Fernandez, the runner-up at last year’s US Open.
In women’s doubles, Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and her Japanese partner, Shuko Aoyama, were eliminated in the first round, falling 6-3, 6-3 to the Tunisian-Belarusian pair of Ons Jabeur and Victoria Azarenka.
As the tennis world bids farewell to Serena Williams, her final appearances on the court continue to draw immense attention, and fans are eagerly awaiting her last Grand Slam attempt at the US Open, where she aims to leave an indelible mark on the sport.