‘It was a privilege’ – Barbara Schett reflects on playing against ‘trailblazer’ Serena Williams

Eurosport expert Barbara Schett has hailed Serena Williams as a “trailblazer” for the sport of tennis and added that it was a “privilege” to play against the American, who on Tuesday effectively confirmed that she will retire after the upcoming US Open. In an interview with Vogue, 23-time Grand Slam winner Williams said she “never liked the word retirement,” she prefers to think about the next step as “a transition” and she will be “evolving away from tennis.” Ad Schett, who faced Williams during her playing career and now works as a presenter and pundit for Eurosport, said it wasn’t a surprise, and the US Open always felt like the natural ending point to her career.

WTA TorontoImproving, not just winning, on Swiatek's mind ahead of Toronto openerAN HOUR AGO “It’s not a big surprise to me,” said Schett in a video filmed for Eurosport. “We know that she has not played for the last year, she only got back to Wimbledon, played there.

“To me the US Open felt like the place where she’d probably play her last match. “What a career she’s had, 23 Grand Slam titles, I thought she might crack the record of Margaret Court, she didn’t in the end but she goes down as the best to ever play.” Schett was quick to praise Williams for the career she had, and spoke of how difficult it was to face the American when she was in full flow.

“It was a privilege for me to play in her era as well. I’ve been on the court playing against her many times.