Serena Williams advances to 3rd round of US Open with stunning win

NEW YORK — Serena Williams may be retiring soon, but it’s clear that she plans to go out with a bang.

According to The Associated Press, the 40-year-old tennis legend stunned U.S. Open spectators by defeating the No. 2 seed, Anett Kontaveit, 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-2 on Wednesday in the second round of the tournament in New York.

Match point, Williams. pic.twitter.com/Sbsu3Sj3WE
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 1, 2022

“I love a challenge,” Williams said afterward, according to People magazine. “I love rising to the challenge.”

The win came two days after the 23-time Grand Slam champ beat Danka Kovinic 6-3, 6-3 in her first-round match, which was followed by a surprise ceremony celebrating Williams’ career, the AP reported.

Serena Williams’ daughter Olympia pays tribute to mom with beaded braids, matching dress

The star athlete’s next appearance will be alongside sister Venus in the doubles tournament on Thursday, according to the news agency. On Friday, she will face 46th-ranked Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia in the third round of the women’s singles tournament.

This could be the last U.S. Open and professional tennis tournament for Williams, who announced in a Vogue article last month that she intends to retire from the sport, according to the AP.

Serena Williams announces plans to retire from professional tennis

“Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution,” she wrote in the magazine. “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.”

A must read. https://t.co/NSWDGHzsXK
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) August 9, 2022

Williams and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, share a 5-year-old daughter, Olympia, the AP reported.

– The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Photos: US Open 2022 celebrity sightings Serena Williams celebrates after defeating Anett Kontaveit of Estonia in their women's singles second-round match on Day 3 of the 2022 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 31, 2022, in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

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Through the years 1990: Serena Williams and her sister Venus Williams stand with former president Ronald Reagan at a tennis camp in Florida. Mandatory Credit: Ken Levine /Allsport (Ken Levine/Getty Images)

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