Serena Williams wins first round on her farewell tournament at US Open

My whole life, up to now, has been tennis. My dad says I first picked up a racket when I was three, but I think it was even earlier.”

“There’s a picture of Venus pushing me in a stroller on a tennis court, and I couldn’t have been more than 18 months.”

“Unlike Venus, who’s always been stoic and classy, I’ve never been one to contain my emotions.”

“I remember learning to write my alphabet for kindergarten and not doing it perfectly and crying all night.”

“I showed up 23 times, and that’s fine. Actually, it’s extraordinary.”

“But these days, if I have to choose between building my tennis résumé and building my family, I choose the latter.”

“I’d like to think that thanks to me, women athletes can be themselves.”

“They can play with aggression and pump their fists. They can wear what they want and say what they want and kick butt and be proud of it all.”

Nadal, Murray, Medvedev Among Stars To Pay Tribute To Serena Williams

“She is a huge ambassador that [broke] records. I think as an athlete… [she] has been one of the most important athletes in the history of the sport,” Nadal said.

“So from the tennis perspective, it’s a big loss that she is leaving. But on the other hand, she deserved all the things that she achieved because she worked enough to make that happen for such a long time, with a lot of determination, dedication, and discipline.”

“I just believe and hope that if she is able to stay around the sport in some way, going to be great for our sport because I always believe that the sports are bigger when the legends of our sport are around the sport,” Nadal said.

“And she’s a legend. In some way, I hope she will continue being involved in the world of tennis.”

“Twenty years later I’m here, already managed to have some success in my career, and Serena is still playing, playing her last US Open. It’s just legendary,” Medvedev said.

“Every time I saw her in person, she just has this legendary energy around her, which I guess is not easy to live with, because that’s why everybody is a fan of her.”

“Maybe paparazzi. You come around here, and you’re like, ‘I’m a fan, something special. She for sure has and will have an amazing legacy in tennis.”

“I’m sure in hundred years we’re still going to talk about Serena Williams.”

Former World No. 1 Murray played mixed doubles with Williams at Wimbledon in 2019. “I was nervous playing with her,” Murray recalled

“Her achievements in the sport, are obviously incredible. She will go down as one of the best tennis players to have ever played, if not ‘the’ best on the women’s side,” Murray said.

“I think also what she and Venus have done is, when you combine the two, is even more remarkable, really, and probably unlikely we will see something like that again from two sisters.”

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