Western & Southern Open will be one of Serena Williams' last tennis competitions

Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer
·2 min read
Serena Williams makes hit to Daria Gavrilova during the first round of the Western and Southern Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason Monday August 13, 2018. Williams won 6-1,6-2.
Serena Williams makes hit to Daria Gavrilova during the first round of the Western and Southern Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason Monday August 13, 2018. Williams won 6-1,6-2.
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It's the end of an era.

American tennis player Serena Williams announced she will be retiring from the sport this year, after the U.S. Open.

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Williams broke the news to her fans via Instagram Tuesday morning. In a post previewing her appearance on the cover of the September issue of Vogue, the 40-year-old athlete said, “There comes a time in life when we have to decide to move in a different direction. That time is always hard when you love something so much. My goodness do I enjoy tennis. But now, the countdown has begun. I have to focus on being a mom, my spiritual goals and finally discovering a different, but just exciting Serena. I’m gonna relish these next few weeks.”

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Williams' retirement announcement came just weeks after it was announced she would be headlining the 2022 Western & Southern Open, Aug. 13-21 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason. The tournament will feature 11 former Western & Southern Open champions, including Williams, a two-time champion (2014, 2015) and a 23-time major champion.

This year's Western & Southern Open will be one of the final tournaments of Williams' career.

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Now that her professional tennis days will soon be behind her, perhaps Williams will devote more of her time to her venture capital company, Serena Ventures.

Serena Ventures focuses on investing in companies committed to promoting diversity and inclusion. Williams has invested in more than 60 startups through her company and raised an inaugural fund of $111 million.

Williams visited Cincinnati last month as the keynote speaker for Black Tech Week. She discussed her venture capital company, past business ventures, and favorite investment trends.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Serena Williams tennis retirement not before Western & Southern Open