Australian Open tennis: Serena Williams breaks down at press conference

Serena Williams turned the tennis world upside down after breaking down in tears when asked about her retirement following her semi-final loss to Naomi Osaka.

Excited Williams spent extended time on the court waving to the crowd at Rod Laver Arena and bowing three times while clutching her chest with her hands.

That gesture caused the tennis world to speculate that the 39-year-old superstar may have played in Australia for the last time.

That speculation reached a frenzy after his press conference when he was unable to answer a question about his future.

She tried to avoid the question before breaking down in tears when answering a follow-up question. She made an apologetic gesture and left the room, finishing her press conference in less than four minutes. She did not return.

When asked if his special moment of applause from the Melbourne crowd was a goodbye, he replied: “If I ever say goodbye, I would not tell anyone.”

When asked about his bug-ridden performance, he said, “I don’t know. I’m done.”

She previously said that it was her inexplicable unforced mistakes that separated her from Osaka.

“The difference today was the mistakes. I made a lot of mistakes,” he said.

“Honestly, there were times I could have been up 5-0, and I just made a lot of mistakes.

“It was a big mistake day for me today.”

He finished with 12 winners and 24 unforced errors.

This was possibly the greatest of all time falling apart as a local social tennis player wearing the wrong shoes.

Encouraged by her husband Alexis Ohanion, Williams seemed lost, nervous and powerless.

Williams lost nine of the next 11 service games after having a break point opportunity to take a 3-0 lead.

Osaka went on to win the match 6-3 6-4.

Even yelling at herself after a rare winner to start the second set, Williams eventually ended up broke and fell behind again.

“Take the shot,” he yelled into his chest as he clenched his fists.

Williams’ body language suggested she knew she was beaten right then and there.

The fight came out of her at the end of the second set and she gave up the last eight points of the match, giving Osaka the easiest opportunity to serve.

With crowds returning to the Aussie Open today

Following Victoria’s five-day lockdown, the cheers and applause quickly turned in Williams’ favor as the crowd sensed that Osaka was going to roll over the American superstar.

The crowd extended Williams a farewell salute from a champion as she returned his affection with an extended salute before walking through the players’ tunnel into the uncertainty of 2021.

Williams’ time spent waving to the crowd has led to speculation that the 23-time Grand Slam champion may have played her last match in Australia.

Williams was all class when she said goodbye, hugging Osaka online as the couple shared a private moment.

Williams could only have congratulated the Japanese star after a performance that ultimately surpassed Williams.

Osaka continued the posh sentiment in her on-court interview, saying it was a “dream” to play her former idol.

“I was really, like, nervous and scared, I think at first. Then I worked my way,” she said.

“It’s always an honor to play her. I just didn’t want to go too bad, so I just wanted to do my best.

“I don’t know if there are little kids here today, but I was a little kid watching her play and being on the court playing against her is a dream for me.”

Without a doubt, Osaka was playing at a level that would have left any tennis player on Earth on the brink of collapse, but this loss for Serena went both ways.

In the first set he only had four winners and 16 unforced errors.

Williams, one of the sport’s most brutal returners, was throwing groundstrokes that looked as ugly as they sounded.

According to Australian Open statistics, Williams failed to return 30 percent of Osaka’s second serves, a tennis legend Jim Courier described as “inexcusable.”

It wasn’t until Osaka had the finish line in sight that Williams was given a glimpse of the match that Osaka had a mini collapse of his own with three double faults in a service game, allowing Williams to level up in 4- 4.

But Williams proved it just wasn’t his day when he broke in the next service game.

Osaka was simply too good, and now he leads Williams 3-1 in their head-to-head.

She will play match winner Jennifer Brady-Karolina Muchova in the final.

Suddenly, it’s unclear if Williams will have an upcoming game.