When Serena Williams made her first professional tennis appearance in Quebec City on a frosty day in late October in 1995, aged just 14, there was no pomp and circumstance, no introductions and certainly no fans watching.
No one really had any idea who she was or what was going to happen.
The Compton, Calif. boy, who had traveled north to La Belle Province to begin his foray into the world of tennis, was competing in a Tier 3 tournament qualifier against 149th-ranked American Annie Miller.
It was unmemorable, weak and the match was over in less than an hour. Miller defeated Williams 6-1, 6-1.
That trip to Canada during those formative years stuck with one of the greatest tennis players of all time. It fueled her drive to be the best.
And when she returned to the professional circuit two years after losing her first match, Williams was ready to take on the world and change the game forever.
“The End of a Story”
It seems only fitting, then, that after starting this tennis journey in Canada, she announces that her career is coming to an end in Canada.
Williams says she is “evolving” from tennis, her way of saying retirement.
In a lengthy opinion piece in Vogue magazine, Williams says she’s leaving the game in September.
WATCH | Williams retires from tennis:
Tennis legend Serena Williams retired after the US Open
American tennis player Serena Williams says she plans to retire from the sport sometime after the US Open, which starts later this month. The 23-time Grand Slam champion revealed the decision in the upcoming issue of Vogue magazine, saying she wants to focus on other important things, including growing her family.
“I don’t know how I’m going to be able to look at this magazine when it comes out knowing that this is the end of a story that started in Compton, California, with a little black girl who just wanted to play tennis,” Williams wrote in Vogue.
“I’m torn: I don’t want it to be over, but at the same time I’m ready for what’s next.”
Now, Canadian tennis fans get one last chance to serenade and celebrate the 23-time Grand Slam singles winner.
WATCH | Toronto fans pay tribute to Williams:
Tennis star Serena Williams ‘is an icon’, fans say
Fans in Toronto paid tribute to the work Serena Williams has done for women and people of color after the tennis superstar announced she will retire after the US Open in September.
Longevity at the top
In the 27 years since that inconspicuous loss to Annie Miller, Williams has racked up impressive results.
And her ability to stay on top as long as she has, with all she’s endured, is perhaps what’s most amazing.
In fact, Williams holds the record for the longest time between reaching the number one position, which occurred on July 8, 2002, and repeating it 14 years later in May 2017.
It held number one on the chart for 319 weeks. Williams won 855 times against 153 losses.
Ten of Williams’ 23 Slam singles titles have come after she turned 30.
Not only does she hold the 23 Slam singles titles, but she has a further 14 Slam doubles titles and two mixed doubles titles – this includes six US Open championships, seven Australian Open titles, four Olympic gold medals and titles at Wimbledon doubles.
And as she approaches 41, which will happen next month, she still plays with the same energy and passion she’s brought to the court for every match for nearly three decades.
On Sunday in Toronto, Williams won her first singles match in more than a year. On Wednesday night at the National Bank Open, she will take the court again to face either Belinda Bencic or Teresa Martinkova.
WATCH | Williams advances to Round 2 in Toronto:
Serena Williams advances to the second round of the National Bank Open
Serena Williams defeated Nuria Parisas-Diaz in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, her first singles win since the 2021 French Open.
A sellout crowd is expected to take over the match, with festivities planned in Williams’ honor.
Williams has been crowned champion on Canadian soil three times – she won it all in 2001, then again ten years later in 2011. Her last win in Canada came in 2013.
Last great run in Toronto
And while those championships are impressive and memorable, what many will remember most is Williams’ last great run in Toronto.
On a brilliantly sunny August afternoon three years ago in 2019, Williams took the court against budding Canadian tennis star Bianca Andreescu in the title match.
The anticipation in the stadium was palpable that day.
Then the 37-year-old tennis player faces the hometown teen sensation – Williams turned pro five years before Andreescu was born.
It was something out of the movies and the tournament organizers couldn’t have imagined a better finish.
But that dream scenario quickly turned into a brief nightmare when, after just four games, Williams pulled out with an injury.
It’s a moment Canadian tennis fans will never forget.
There was a beautiful scene that played out in the chaos of the sudden ending. Andreescu, so young in her career, immediately rushed to Williams to make sure she was okay.
The two exchange hugs and words of support. Andreescu’s genuine care showed her respect for the tennis legend in the clearest way.
WATCH | Andreescu consoles Williams after the 2019 final ends abruptly:
Bianca Andreescu consoles Serena Williams after the sudden end of the Rogers Cup final
Bianca Andreescu and Serena Williams shared an emotional hug after Williams was forced to withdraw from the Rogers Cup final due to injury. Andreescu is the first Canadian woman to win the Rogers Cup since Faye Urban in 1969.
Williams then had the opportunity to address the packed crowd through the stadium’s loudspeakers.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t do it today,” Williams said, crying. “I tried but I just couldn’t do it.”
She continued.
“Bianca, you’re a great athlete, woman. And thanks to my team. It’s been a tough year, but we’ll keep going.”
She continues.
The two met again in a championship match just a month later in the US Open final. Andreescu defeated Williams to become the first Canadian to win a Slam singles title.
WATCH | How Andreescu faced Williams ahead of US Open final:
The behind-the-scenes story of how Bianca Andreescu took on Serena Williams ahead of the US Open final
Even before Bianca Andreescu and Serena Williams hit the court for the US Open title match, Andreescu’s coach Sylvain Bruno made sure she stayed on the same practice court, right next to Serena.
This is the last time Williams played in a Grand Slam title match. She wanted so badly to win that 24th Slam singles win. It wasn’t for lack of trying, she didn’t get it.
And that’s all. These would be the last matches Williams ever played.
But this time, when she takes the court in Canada for the last time, it will be very different from that first appearance.
There will be an introduction. Pomp and circumstance. And thousands of fans cheering and clapping endlessly for an athlete who endured, rose again and again – and earned her way into the history books as one of the greatest ever to play tennis.
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