By Victor Kanayo
Rains of commendation poured in Saturday morning from prominent supporters and fellow sportsperson after tennis great Serena Williams retired from playing, after enjoying years of success amidst haul of trophies in her cabinet.
Serena retired following her defeat to Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic on a thrilling early morning in New York.
Billionaire and TV host, Oprah Winfrey shared a throwback picture of Williams via her Twitter page and wrote, “25 years. Champion. Shero. Legend forever! @serenawilliams #USOpen.”
Golf legened, Tiger Woods, who was captured hailing Serena during her games also tweeted, “@serenawilliams you’re literally the greatest on and off the court. Thank you for inspiring all of us to pursue our dreams. I love you little sis!!!”
Iconic basketball player, LeBron James, posted a video on the his Twitter page when he hailed the 23-times grand slam winner.
The former First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, wrote on Twitter, “Congrats on an amazing career, @SerenaWilliams!
“How lucky were we to be able to watch a young girl from Compton grow up to become one of the greatest athletes of all time. I’m proud of you, my friend—and I can’t wait to see the lives you continue to transform with your talents.”
At her final match in US Open, Williams lost 7-5 6-7 (4-7) 6-1 and had tears running down her face afterwards.
The former long-time world number one saved five match points in what proved to be the final game but was powerless to stop a sixth.
Almost everyone who could, rose to their feet when she departed the court on Arthur Ashe Stadium – the scene of her first major triumph in 1999 and five more of the finest wins in her storied career – for what she intends to be the last time.
As she waved goodbye and gave a signature twirl, Tina Turner’s pop classic ‘Simply The Best’ boomed out over the sound system.
Williams was overcome with emotion when she was interviewed in the middle of the court, thanking her family, team, the crowd and her fans across the world for their support over the years.
