In August 2022, Serena Williams announced that after 27 years on the WTA Tour, she wanted to ‘evolve away’ from tennis after the US Open that year.
Williams would play three more tournaments before calling it a day on her legendary career, with appearances at the Canadian Open, the Cincinnati Masters, and one final time at Flushing Meadows.
In Toronto, she won her opening matchup before falling in the second round to Belinda Bencic.
The American then arrived in Cincinnati, where her first round opponent came in the form of reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu.
Raducanu, who won a maiden Grand Slam title in New York as a qualifier in 2021, was now tasked with a woman who won her first of such crowns in 1999.
Emma Raducanu’s one tour-level match with Serena Williams
Williams came out to a rapturous home crowd, who knew it was the last time they would get to witness the 23-time Grand Slam champion in action.
She won the coin toss and served first, but was immediately broken in the first game by Raducanu, who went on to take the first set 6-4.
Any chance of a comeback for Williams in the second set looked bleak, as the Briton was simply too good, tallying just one unforced error throughout the match.
Raducanu won the match in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0, wrapping up the contest in 65 minutes, before joining the fans in giving a standing ovation to her opponent as she walked off.
Emma Raducanu’s short-lived title defence at the US Open in 2022
After becoming the first qualifier in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam singles title the year prior, a successful title defence at the US Open for 19-year-old Raducanu seemed a tall order.
Following her triumph over Williams, she advanced to the third round in Cincinnati, bowing out to home hope Jessica Pegula.
She then began her campaign at the fourth major of the year, where, as the 11th seed, she drew Alize Cornet of France in the first round.
Cornet proved too much for Raducanu in their clash, knocking out the champion in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3.
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