‘I’m terrible at goodbyes’: Serena Williams tearfully bows out of the National Bank Open following her loss to Belinda Bencic just one day after announcing her retirement from tennis
- Serena Williams bowed out of the National Bank Open in the second round
- She lost to Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-4 in first loss since retirement announcement
- The 40-year-old admitted she was ‘terrible at goodbyes’ as she waved farewell
Tearful Serena Williams admitted to being ‘terrible at goodbyes’ as she bowed out of the National Bank Open a day after announcing her retirement.
The American lost 6-2, 6-4 to Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic in the second round in Toronto, her first defeat since saying she was ending her career.
‘It was a lot of emotions obviously,’ Williams said.
Serena Williams admitted to being ‘terrible at goodbyes’ as she left the National Bank Open
The 40-year-old lost to Belinda Bencic one day after announcing her retirement from tennis
‘I’ve always loved playing here. I wish I could have played better but Belinda played so well.
‘It’s been an interesting 24 hours. I’m terrible at goodbyes. But goodbye Toronto.’
The 23-time Grand Slam winner wrote in Vogue magazine that she was ‘evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me’.
She said: ‘It’s been an interesting 24 hours. I’m terrible at goodbyes. But goodbye Toronto’
She has committed to playing the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati next week as well as the US Open later this month, with that set to be her final tournament.
Elsewhere, rising British star Jack Draper defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5, 7-6 to claim his first win over a top 10 player and become the third Brit into the third round of the National Bank Open in Montreal.
British No 2 Dan Evans shocked eighth-ranked Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-4 to join Cam Norrie in the last 16.
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