It was a tight match throughout, highlighted by big momentum swings and incredible shooting from both players. But what will be remembered more than anything that happened in the actual match will be the lasting image of the last time Williams took the court at the US Open. The 40-year-old, 23-time Grand Slam champion’s plan to step away from tennis has been documented since she announced in early August that her playing days were coming to an end as she looks forward to raising her family and business. ventures. While there will be a lifetime to grow and nurture her life at home as she steps away from the field, this night was about her life spent on it. Over the past two decades, Williams has regularly said she has the best shot of any player, and that’s what she achieved in her third-round loss to Tomljanovic, whose toughness and mental toughness were reminiscent of the icon at the net. Up 5-3 in the first set and then 5-2 in the second, Tomljanovic continued to pressure Williams’ forehand, which had been erratic tonight and was responsible for many of her 50 errors to take the first set and force a second-set tiebreak, before sealing the deal in the third.
