Serena Williams Celebrated by Fans as an Inspiration After Announcing Tennis Farewell

Tennis legend Serena Williams announced her farewell to tennis in an essay for Vogue, creating a significant reaction around the sports world.

"I have never liked the word retirement," Williams said. "It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me. I’ve been thinking of this as a transition, but I want to be sensitive about how I use that word, which means something very specific and important to a community of people. Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution. I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me. "

Many fans offered her support following the announcement:

Williams has been one of the most successful athletes in any sport during her era, winning 23 Grand Slam singles titles with 14 doubles titles, adding four Olympic gold medals.