Former First Lady Michelle Obama congratulated Serena Williams on a great tennis career and wished her all the best in the next chapter of her life. Williams, 40, announced her retirement in a piece published for Vogue. After being active for more than two decades, Williams is set to say goodbye to professional tennis at the US Open.
“Serena, thank you for everything that you’ve done to break barriers and to be a positive light in this world,” Obama wrote on Instagram. “We’ve all watched you wear the crown of greatness with the kind of humility, grace, and integrity that all of us can aspire to.
It has meant so much to follow your journey as an athlete, as a mother, as a business leader, and more. I wish you the best as you evolve into this next chapter. And please know that I’ll always be cheering you on!”
Williams ‘evolving away from tennis’
In her retirement message, Williams didn’t really want to use the word “retirement.”
Instead, Williams described what is to come as “evolving away from tennis.” “I have never liked the word retirement. It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me. I’ve been thinking of this as a transition, but I want to be sensitive about how I use that word, which means something very specific and important to a community of people.
Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution. I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me. A few years ago I quietly started Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm.
Soon after that, I started a family. I want to grow that family,” Williams wrote for Vogue. Williams kicked off her summer on hard courts this week in Toronto. After Toronto, Williams returns to the United States for Cincinnati and the US Open.
