“She's in that rarefied air like Michael Jordan or Wayne Gretzky or Roger Federer, she transcends the sport” - John Isner on Serena Williams
John Isner has joined the growing list of players to speak highly of Serena Williams ever since she announced her plans to retire from the sport.
Williams, in a heartfelt letter earlier this month, laid bare her thoughts and stated that she is going to evolve away from the sport and focus a little more on Serena Ventures, the California-based venture capital firm she founded in 2014.
In a video on Tennis Channel, Isner stated that while the sport will sorely miss Williams' presence, her popularity will not go down post-retirement.
"I think tennis is going to miss Serena's presence sorely. But the good thing about Serena I think is she will always be around. She's an incredible athlete and will be every bit as popular when she's done with tennis as she ever was when she was playing," he said.
He added that the 23-time Grand Slam champion is on the same level as some of the biggest names across all sports.
"She's sort of in that rarefied air like a Michael Jordan or like a Wayne Gretzky and Roger Federer where she's just sort of transcends the sport a bit. She will be missed. Fans, colleagues and everyone alike will miss watching her compete," he said.
"I don’t know if I will be ready to win New York, but I’m going to try" - Serena Williams
23-time Major winner Serena Williams has been chasing Margaret Court's 24 Grand Slam record for several years now. The American's last Major victory came at the 2017 Australian Open, where she beat her sister Venus Williams in the title clash. Since then, she has lost four Slam finals - 2018 Australian Open, 2018 Wimbledon, 2019 Australian Open, and 2019 Wimbledon.
While fans are eager to see her match Court's record before stepping away from the spotlight, Williams, in her Vogue article, stated that she will not be thinking about it when she takes to the court in New York. She did, however, promise to give her best in her matches.
"I don’t know if I will be ready to win New York. But I’m going to try. I know there’s a fan fantasy that I might have tied Margaret that day in London [Wimbedon], then maybe beat her record in New York, and then at the trophy ceremony say, “See ya!” I get that. It’s a good fantasy," she said, adding, "I’m not looking for some ceremonial, final on-court moment. I’m terrible at goodbyes, the world’s worst."
Serena Williams will begin her 2022 US Open campaign with an opening-round clash against Danka Kovinic on Monday.
Serena Williams will open with Danka Kovinic in her final US Open. https://t.co/cSjGuZIHKj
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