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An emotional Serena Williams left her press conference in tears after facing questions about her future after the loss in the Australian Open semifinal.
The 39-year-old American tennis star once again fell short in her 11th attempt to rise to the level of Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles, and now it’s a year and a half since she reached the final. .
Japan’s third-seeded Naomi Osaka, the champion in 2019, overcame a nervous start in front of a limited crowd at Rod Laver Arena to win 6-3 6-4.
Serena Williams touched her chest as she left the court
After the match, Williams said goodbye to the crowd with his hand on his heart, prompting speculation about whether he will ever return to Melbourne Park, where he won the title seven times.
In her post-match press conference, Williams, who had never lost a semifinal in Melbourne before, said she was unsure of her future.
She said, “If I ever say goodbye, I wouldn’t tell anyone. So …”
Williams then burst into tears during the next question, a relatively mundane question about his unforced errors during the game, and shaking his head said, “I don’t know. I’m done,” before abruptly leaving the room.
Serena Williams left the press conference after breaking down
2-0 down, Osaka won eight of the next nine games before finishing with victory in one hour and 15 minutes.
Osaka, 23, said on the court: “I was really nervous and scared at first, but I pushed through.
“It was all about having fun and it was my first day with a crowd for a while. It’s an honor to play it and I didn’t want to go really wrong, so I tried my best.
“I was a little girl watching her play, so facing her on the court is a dream for me.”
Osaka will face Grand Slam finalist for the first time, Jennifer Brady, on Saturday.
