Serena Williams falls in the third round of the US Open, her possible last tournament

In a game that made his legend even bigger, Serena Williams was eliminated this Friday by the Australian Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round of the US Open, in what could have been the last match of his career.

At almost 41 years old, Williams saved up to five match points in the final set before falling to Tomljanovic 7-5, 6-7 (4-7), 6-1 after three hours of a highly emotional game.

Serena, who amazed the world with two epic victories in this Grand Slam, has avoided confirming if she will put an end to her career once eliminated from this US Open, as hinted at last month.

Ajla Tomlijanovic of Australia eliminated Serena Williams at the US Open. Photo. AFP

This epic match was followed by Serena’s emotional farewell, one of the great figures in sports history with 23 Grand Slam titles.

Unable to repress emotion Williams thanked her mother Oracene and older sister Venus on the track, who were in the stands, and to his father Richard, “who is surely watching me”, for “the most incredible trip of my life”.

“It all started with my parents,” Williams said. “They deserve everything. I am very grateful for them.”

“And it wouldn’t be Serena if Venus didn’t exist, so thanksyes, Venus. She is the only reason Serena Williams has ever existed,” she said of her older sister and fellow tennis star.

In words that seemed to convey goodbye, to Williams was asked if he might reconsider the withdrawal he announced last month.

“I don’t think so… but you never know”, he replied with an enigmatic smile.

– An epic defeat –
After a year of inactivity and painful defeats in the few preparation matches, Williams amazed the world at the US Open this week with two amazing victories against the Montenegrin Danka Kovinic and the Estonian Anett Kontaveit, a number two in the world ranking.

If the comeback against Tomljanovic had ended on Friday, she would also have become the oldest tennis player to play a Grand Slam round of 16 since the start of the Open era in 1968.

Williams paid for the wear and tear of an intense week in which he played four games in the past five days, with less than 24 hours off since her doubles loss to Venus.

Still he was able to clinch a second set of intense emotions in the ‘tiebreak’, overcoming four lost set points, and breaking in the first game of the definitive sleeve.

But Tomljanovic, unlike previous rivals, He was not dwarfed by the size of the legend in front of him or the 23,800 fans at the world’s largest track.

Twelve years younger, the Australian took advantage of Serena’s physical exhaustion for and inscribed his name in the final chapter of the great champion.

“I’m so sorry because I love Serena as much as you do,” the Australian told the crowd. “What he has done for me, for the sport of tennis, is incredible.”

“I never thought that I would have the opportunity to play against her in her last match,” he stressed.