US Open 2022 Ticket Demand Soars After Serena Williams' Retirement Announcement

Serena Williams sent shockwaves through the tennis world on Tuesday when she announced her intention to retire after the 2022 U.S. Open.

Unsurprisingly, there is massive intrigue for the legendary athlete's last run, and Williams' announcement has led to a spike in ticket sales for the event set to begin on Aug. 29.

Sports Illustrated's Jon Wertheim reports that 13,000 tickets have been sold since the news, including a near sell-out for opening night:

"I have never liked the word retirement," Williams wrote for Vogue. "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."

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion is one of the most successful athletes across any sport. She also has 14 doubles titles and four Olympic gold medals.