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The 40-year-old tennis champion played her first match in Toronto after announcing that she would stop playing competitive tennis after the upcoming U.S. Open.
Williams' final tournament in Canada ended in the second round of the Canadian Open, where she was defeated by 2020 Olympic gold medallist and world No. 12 Belinda Bencic in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4.
According to a footage published by the Tennis Channel, Williams earned a standing ovation from the spectators at Center Court at Sobeys Stadium both before and after the match.
In a post-match interview on Wednesday, she praised Bencic's performance and told Tennis Channel that it had been "a really eventful 24 hours." attributing to a Vogue interview in which she spoke out about her retirement plans.
“It’s just been so memorable,” Williams told the outlet. “As I said in my article, I’m terrible at goodbyes, but… goodbye, Toronto!”
“I’ve always had some amazing times here both on and off the court, I’ll be coming back just as a visitor to this city,” Williams said, of leaving the Toronto-based tournament as a competitor for the final time. “Otherwise, It’s been remarkable, I’ve had some amazing matches here, some cool wins, a crazy match against [Bencic] a few years ago, that was pretty intense.”
Williams offered the crowd at Center Court a thank-you “from the bottom of my heart” before she exited the court. “It’s been a joy playing in front of you guys all these years,” she said via the Tennis Channel. “Thank you.”
Before Wednesday’s loss, Williams just earned her first singles win in more than a year on Monday when she defeated Spain’s Nuria Párrizas Díaz in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.
Since Williams was eliminated by Bencic in Toronto, the 23-time Grand Slam winner will next play at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati before she travels to New York City for one last US Open.
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