Since Williams, 40, announced her impending plans to “evolve” from tennis in a first-person essay in Vogue earlier this month, she has been given a farewell tour and received standing ovations at both the Canadian Open and Western & Southern . Open. On Monday night, the sold out crowd of nearly 24,000 — which featured an A-list list of celebrities and celebrities, including former presidents Bill Clinton, Spike Lee, Lindsey Vonn, Bella Hadid, Rebel Wilson, Vera Wang, Queen Latifah, Mike Tyson, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Gladys Knight, Martina Navratilova and even Coco Gauff — she was on her feet before Williams even took the court. After a video narrated by Queen Latifah was shown summarizing her legendary career, Williams was introduced to the crowd as the “All-Time Great” to loud cheers that continued during each break in the action throughout the match. It was Williams’ 102nd victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium — the most by any player since it opened in 1997 — and extended her record for Grand Slam victories by a woman to 366. 2 Related Williams offered a glimpse into her future without competitive tennis during a post-match ceremony, telling the crowd: “There are other chapters in life.” Tickets for Monday’s evening session became a hot commodity after Williams’ announcement. According to TickPick, a secondary ticket website, the cost to attend Monday’s evening session was more expensive than any US Women’s Open Final on record. The average ticket price on the secondary market was recorded at $987 as of Monday morning, according to ticket analytics firm TicketIQ. Even her pre-match training drew thousands of fans clamoring to slip a peak of the legend, with rows lining up to catch a glimpse through a chain link fence. But despite the fanfare, Williams wasn’t ready to call it a career just yet. On Monday, wearing a figure skating-inspired dress with six layers representing all six of her US Open titles and matching diamonds in her hair, Williams glided around the court — twirling at the end — and showed flashes of what made her one of the all-time greats. He had nine aces and hit 22 winners in the 99-minute match. After watching the win, spectators held blue, white or red placards handed out at their seats to read “We (Heart) Serena.” “Just keep supporting me,” Williams said, “while I’m here.” Rennae Stubbs, the former player turned coach and analyst, is working with Williams this week in New York. In an interview with ABC before the match, Stubbs said that Williams was nervous but was still preparing for the match and the tournament with the same intensity. “The practices were really tough,” Stubbs said Monday. “She’s been training really, really hard this week. She’s been practicing with other players, which she’s never done before. And, you know, she’s trying to do everything she can to be at her best tonight.” Williams will next play No. 2 Annette Kontaveit in the second round next Wednesday, in addition to playing doubles alongside her sister Venus. The two have won 14 major titles together as a team, most recently at Wimbledon in 2016. This is the first time they have played together since the 2018 French Open. The pair are scheduled to play Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova on Wednesday or Thursday. Venus, 42, has revealed no plans to retire, but has played sparingly over the past year.
