Serena Williams retired from professional tennis in 2022.
She announced in August 2022 that she planned to “evolve away” from tennis after the US Open, framing the decision around family, health, and her interests outside competition. Her final professional tournament was the 2022 US Open in New York.
Williams won her first-round match and then defeated world No. 2 Anett Kontaveit in the second round, a remarkable result at age 40. She played her last match against Ajla Tomljanović in the third round, losing in a dramatic three-set contest.
The wording can cause a small mix-up: Williams described her transition as an evolution rather than using a traditional retirement announcement. Nevertheless, 2022 is the accepted year of her retirement from professional tennis. She finished with 23 major singles titles, four Olympic gold medals, and 73 WTA singles titles.