THE REPUBLIC – COLOMBIA
Like Williams, the triumvirate of Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic have dominated tennis for the past two decades.
The probable end of the tennis career of Serena Williams has left the game looking towards the beginning of the end of the sport’s golden age, a dreaded prospect that has been on the horizon for a long time.
The American, who turns 41 this month, took an emotional farewell to the US Open with a third-round loss to Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday, in what could have been the last singles match of her glittering career.
Though Williams left the door slightly open on an unlikely return, her apparent departure — not unexpected, given Williams’ struggles with form and injuries over the past 12 months — would have sent chills down the spines of tennis administrators and organizers.
“She’s the box office,” former British No. 1 Greg Rusedski summed up on Sky Sports after Williams informed the world of her decision last month in a Vogue article.
“She has also led women’s tennis for the last two decades with her sister Venus. Obviously, she’s had other great players around her, but she brings her tennis fan into the sport.”
“If you know absolutely nothing about tennis, you know the name of Serena Williams. She is iconic and we are losing an icon of our sport and she will be sorely missed.”
But it won’t just be a loss for women’s tennis. Williams could be the first in a series of aging greats to end their playing careers in the near future.
Like Williams, the triumvirate of Roger FedererRafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic has dominated tennis for the last two decades and revolutionized the sport, attracting new and old fans and a long list of sponsors.
All of them continue to draw fans to the stands, mobile phones and TV screens even after two decades on the road, while their commercial appeal continues to fascinate brands and advertisers.
Injuries to Williams, Federer and Nadal in recent years have raised the question of their retirement time and time again. Fans and pundits have wondered how the sport would deal with the prospect of losing its most marketable athletes.
“He is an inspiration to many people around the world. She brought a lot to tennis, so we are lucky to have had a great ambassador like Serena for so long,” Nadal said after Williams’ loss on Friday. “She deserves to choose what is right for her at this stage of her life.”
