Williams ready to find new Serena after US Open exit

Serena Williams bid an emotional good-bye to the US Open with a third-round loss to Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday, in what may have been the last singles match of her glittering career. Defeat has always been hard to swallow for the fiercely competitive Williams and no doubt the 7-5 6-7 (4) 6-1 loss to the 46th ranked Australian stung her to her core. But after a joyous run into the third round there was no shame in a loss to the gritty Tomljanovic, allowing the 23-times Grand Slam winner to exit with dignity intact and head held high.

Read AlsoUS Open 2022: Serena Williams says she won't reconsider retirement but 'you never know'

Serena Williams said Friday that she will not reconsider her decision to retire from tennis, but added: "You never know". Williams suffered what was almost certainly a career-ending defeat when she was knocked out of the US Open by Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic.

Her three matches, highlighted by a second-round win over world number two Anett Kontaveit, were a gift to her fans, the relentless never-surrender attitude that made her tennis' dominant player for over two decades on display right until the very final point.

"Clearly I'm still capable," Williams told reporters. "But it takes a lot more than that. "I'm ready to be a mom, explore a different version of Serena. "Technically in the world I'm still super young, so I want to have a little bit of a life while I'm still walking.

Read AlsoUS Open 2022: Serena Williams 'greatest of all time. Period', says Ajla Tomljanovic

Ajla Tomljanovic sent Serena Williams into almost certain retirement on Friday when she knocked the tennis legend out of the US Open before hailing her as "the greatest of all time. Period."

"I have such a bright future ahead of